I am very interested in Frida Hansen as a mentor and source of inspiration to her followers — other designers of transparent tapestries. Several of them had been weavers in her studio, steeped in her beautiful floral imagery and experts in translating her cartoons into compelling ethereal hangings.
Birds and greenery were prominent in Frida Hansen’s tapestries, and also in this parrot-filled transparency pattern by a follower, Julie [Jullik] Gulbrandsen. It was clearly popular; I keep seeing different woven versions. As you view them, it is interesting to see the variety of borders and colors that were chosen.
This version is in the Nasjonalmuseet in Oslo. In this case the attribution to Jullik Gulbrandsen is “assumed.”
These two portieres were sold at auction by Blomqvist this summer (June 2024). The parrots, grapes, leaves, and the intertwining tendrils are the same, but there are flower blooms in place of fruit-like circles in the Nasjonalmuseet version. Each panel is 68 cm x 240 cm (2.2′ x 7.9′).
This version is owned by a private collector in Oslo. Note how the dark unwoven warp makes the intertwining tendrils stand out, in contrast to the versions with a lighter background color.
Marie Kvistad Eikum wove this version with green parrots and a purple background and posted it on Facebook.
Anne Greta Krogstad posted photos of this lovely version in soft colors on Facebook. She noted, “What a treasure we have at our local museum [Trøgstad Bygdemuseum]. Transparent portieres, woven by Johanne Sellæg around one hundred years ago. Only a few master this technique, which is a variation of tapestry weaving. It was developed and patented by Frida Hansen at the end of the 1800s. The transparent effect comes from by leaving some of the warp unwoven, without weft, among the pattern elements. It is possible to think that the weaver learned from the master herself, as it is so beautifully done.”
Golden parrots flew in another version sold at auction by Blomqvist in December 2025. The photos are taken from the auction listing.
