'Lifesize Whippet' by Olga Lanner

Olga Maria Lanner, Swedish, born September 1, 1884 in Karlstad, died in 1961 , had special significance in the development of Swedish bronze sculpture.

She was the daughter of Axel Maurits Lanner and Lina Andersson and sister of Pontus Lanner . Olga came in contact with the artisans in the circle of the Rackstad group , the artists’ colony that was established around 1900 in the area of Arvika, where she was living for some time. Olga Lanner was accepted as a 19-year-old to the Technical School in Stockholm, where she was a pupil from 1903-06. Her education continued with travel in Germany, France and Italy. On her return she was involved with the work at the Stockholm Exhibition in 1909 , the Baltic Exhibition in Malmö in 1914 and the World Expo in San Francisco in 1915.

During the first World War, 1914-18 Olga Lanner successfully ran her own company Forging Art Master Samuelsgatan in Stockholm, a with around 30 employees. Among the objects she designed were the church’s altarpiece with seven forged silver shields, originally also concealed fittings. This was perhaps Lanner’s most distinctive contribution to the Art Nouveau period.

After her firm closed in 1918 Lanner remained in Stockholm until her death in 1961. The direction of her artistic work became more and more focused on painting and sculpture.

Lanner is represented in Sweden at the National Museum , Gothenburg Art Museum and Hallwyl and other works may be found in foreign museums.