Oluf Braren (* 7 February 1787 at Oldsum, † 22 March 1839 at Toftum) was a painter of naïve art from the north Frisian island of Föhr. Some of his works show a strong affinity to his Frisian homeland.

His paintings include portraits and depictions of public life as well as religious and mythological motives.

Contents 1 Life 2 Reception 3 Selected works 4 Bibliography 5 External links

[edit] Life

Oluf Braren was born in Oldsum on Föhr in North Frisia. His father was a blacksmith and farmer. Aged 19 years, Braren became a teacher on the neighbouring island of Sylt. On 25 September 1808 he married a local woman named Meete Wilhelms. Around 1810, the couple moved to Utersum on Föhr where Braren worked as a teacher. There he began an affair with Ing Peter Matzen, a woman from the nearby hamlet of Hedehusum. That relationship lasted for about seven years. When it eventually became public, Braren lost his employment and was posted to Toftum to work as an auxiliary teacher - at a third of a regular teacher's salary.

Ing Peter Matzen's brother Peter Nahmen Matthiesen had befriended Braren and took lessons in painting and sketching from him. As Mathiessen developed an unusual talent around 1818, he went to Eutin to learn from Wilhelm Tischbein. Braren accompanied his former student on the journey and it is known that he stayed with Tischbein for a week. Thus he was at least indirectly influenced by Tischbein's art as can be seen in his later works.

In 1839 Braren died in Toftum, impoverished, from tuberculosis.

[edit] Reception

His work was little known during his life, and only in the 20th century has his work become highly valued in Germany and the international art world.

[edit] Selected works

• Self-portrait, ca. 1820
• Helena, 1820's
• Portrait of Oluf Oken, 1820's
• Jong Gontje Braren, 1820's
• A Bride from Föhr, ca. 1830
• Domestic Wedding on Föhr (later version, unfinished), ca. 1830

[edit] Bibliography

• Niemeyer, Wilhelm (in German). Oluf Braren, Der Maler von Föhr 1787-1839 (Oluf Braren, the Painter from Föhr 1787-1839). Berlin: Furche-Verlag. 
• Schlee, Ernst (1986) (in German). Der Maler Oluf Braren 1787-1839 (The Painter Oluf Braren). Husum: Husum Druck- und Verlagsgesellschaft. ISBN 978-3880420489. 
• Schmidt, Olaf (2006) (in German). Friesenblut (Frisian Blood). Eichborn-Verlag. ISBN 978-3821807706.  (a novel based on motives from Braren's life)
• Bihalji-Merin, Oto (1959). Modern Primitives: Masters of Naive Painting. trans. Norbert Guterman. New York: Harry N. Abrams. p. 265. 

[edit] External links

• Information on Braren's life (German language), picture of his tombstone

This article incorporates information from this version of the equivalent article on the German Wikipedia.