Bjorn Egeli

Herbjorn (Bjorn) Peter Egeli (15 November 1900 – 20 October 1984) was a Norwegian born, American portrait painter and maritime artist.

Herbjorn Peter Egeli was born in Horten, Norway. He was the eldest of the three sons of Even Egeli (1874–1915) and Josefine Mathilde Wennerstrom (1875–1921). He had traditional schooling with additional art classes and wood-carving taught by his uncle, Hermann Ekeli (1885–1946) (the various family branches spelt the name either Ekeli or Egeli). Bjorn, who on his paternal grandfather's side descended from a family originating in Haukeli in Vinje, county of Telemark, was not the first artist in his family. A great-great-uncle, Tor Sveinsen Øykjelie (1825–1882), was a well-known rosepainter who eventually emigrated to Wisconsin.

Egeli left Norway after the death of his father in 1915. It was the custom for young men to be on their own when coming to the confirmation age of 15 and so Egeli left to join the crew of a sailing ship out of Oslo.

After seven years at sea, during which time he painted maritime subjects and made ship models, he came to the United States in 1923 and entered Brooklyn Art School in New York. Later after another period at sea, in 1924, he entered the Corcoran School of Art in Washington, D.C. There he studied under Richard S. Meryman, Sr. (1882-1963), Eugene M. Weisz and Samuel Burtis Baker (1882-1967). Early in his studies, his teachers noted Egeli's ability. This recognition earned him commissions from members of the community who came to the Corcoran to purchase paintings. One of his earliest works was a mural in one of the early houses in Chevy Chase, Maryland. Egeli did a painting of a medieval chase scene that showed the huntsmen leaving the castle, then pursuing a stag and finally, returning with it at the end of the day. Another project was a series of woodcuts for two books of poems (1932 & 1933) by Tom Sweeney.

The public quickly became aware of Egeli's talents, especially in portraiture. The list of commissions from the Washington area began to grow. Egeli at first used a room in the basement of the Corcoran as a studio.

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