Astri Welhaven Heiberg

Astri Welhaven Heiberg (1881-1967) was born into a family with close relations to key persons in the Norwegian culture.

His father, Hjalmar Welhaven (1850-1922) was the second son of the poet Johan Sebastian Cammermeyer Welhaven (1807-1873) and his Danish wife, Josephine Bidoulac Angelica (1812-1866). Johan Sebastian Welhavens father, John Ernst Welhaven (1775-1828), was a minister, including at St. Jorgen in Bergen, who was a church and hospital for the lepers in the district. Hjalmar Welhaven was educated architect, and designed primarily wooden buildings and houses for the workers in Christiania. He is best known for the house of Fridtjof Nansen, Polhøgda (1900-2002) at Fornebu, executed in stone. In 1883 he became manager of Castle Oscar II.

The mother of Welhaven Heiberg was Margaret Backer (1851-1940). She and her three older sisters were culturally interested. Harriet Backer (1845-1932) was the second oldest and is considered one of Norway's greatest painters. In siblings, we also find the pianist and composer Agathe Backer (1847-1907, married Agathe Grøndahl), which has a big name in Norwegian music history. Inga Agathe (1842-1915) was the oldest, and an accomplished singer. Margaret Backer was, like his sister Harriet, interested in painting. She was educated at William Kyhn in Copenhagen and Bergslien art school in Christiania.

Sources

• Norsk Wikipedia: Astri Welhaven Heiberg
• Christiania auktionsforretning AS: HEIBERG, ASTRI WELHAVEN (Kra. 1881-1967) Ol. "To portretter"