Wilhelm Wetlesen

Wetlesen also traveled to Paris with other painters, and he lived for long periods in the Italian cities of Florence and Rome.

In 1898, Erik Werenskiold recommended Wetlesen to replace Halfdan Egedius, who had become ill, to take part in illustrating for the 1899 edition of the Old Norse saga Heimskringla of Snorri Sturluson.

After 1900, Wetlesen painted Norwegian landscapes in various parts of the country, including in Telemark, Jæren, and Vestfold.

[3] At an early age, Wetlesen was struck with a debilitating heart condition, which combined with his artistic modesty and self-criticism probably contributed to that he did not fully live up to his expectations.

Wetlesen was nonetheless socially outgoing and a centre for his friends and the Norwegian art scene, and he took initiative to establish the artist association Kunstnerforbundet in 1910, and was the first chairman for the organisation from 1911 to 1912.