Wilhelm Rasmussen

{{Short description|Norwegian sculptor}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2020}}

{{Infobox person

| name = Wilhelm Rasmussen

| image = Wilhelm Robert Rasmussen.jpg

| alt =

| caption = Wilhelm Rasmussen, c. 1935

| birth_name =

| birth_date = {{Birth date|1879|6|15|df=y}}

| birth_place = Skien, Norway

| death_date = {{Death date and age|1965|12|6|1879|6|15|df=y}}

| death_place = Oslo, Norway

| nationality = Norwegian

| other_names =

| parents =

| spouse =

| children =

| relatives =

| occupation = sculptor

| years_active =

| known_for =

| notable_works =

}}

Wilhelm Rasmussen (15 June 1879 – 6 December 1965) was a Norwegian sculptor.[http://akershus.kulturnett.no/Historie/Kunstner/kunstnere/rasmuss.html Wilhelm Robert (døpt Vilhelm Robart) Rasmussen (akershus.kulturnett.no)]

Wilhelm Robert Rasmussen was born in Skien in Telemark county, Norway. He studied under Norwegian sculptors Brynjulf Bergslien and Lars Utne (1862–1922), and later trained at the Drawing Academy in Oslo from 1895 to 1900, then a short time in Paris in 1902 and in Italy in 1906. From 1921 to 1945 he was professor of sculptor at the Norwegian National Academy of Craft and Art Industry and had among others, Ørnulf Bast as a student.

His most extensive work was the 34-meter high column originally titled Eidsvollsøylen, which in 1925 had won the competition sponsored by the Parliament of Norway for a monument on Eidsvolls plass in front of the Parliament building in memory of the Norwegian Constitution. Following a very controversial history, the 34-meter tall was re-titled Saga column (Sagasøyla) and was finally erected in the Bøverdalen valley in Lom municipality in the County of Oppland during 1992.[http://www.dagbladet.no/magasinet/2006/12/05/484991.html Kong Harald-statue også Davvist (Dagbladet.no)]

Among his other works are busts of Norwegian architect Magnus Poulsson and of Norwegian poet Olav Aukrust at the National Gallery of Norway.{{cite encyclopedia |title= Wilhelm Rasmussen |encyclopedia=Norsk biografisk leksikon|first=Ellen J |last=Lerberg |editor=Helle, Knut |editor-link=Knut Helle |publisher=Kunnskapsforlaget |location= Oslo |url= http://www.snl.no/.nbl_biografi/Wilhelm_Rasmussen/utdypning |language= Norwegian |accessdate= 6 February 2011}}{{cite encyclopedia |title= Wilhelm Rasmussen |encyclopedia= Store norske leksikon |publisher= Kunnskapsforlaget |location= Oslo |url= http://www.snl.no/Wilhelm_Rasmussen |language= Norwegian |accessdate= 6 February 2011 }}

Between 1920 and 1922, he designed twelve caryatid in Larvikite for installation at the Tønsberg Navigation School (Sjømannsskolen i Tønsberg). The award-winning building now houses the Haugar Vestfold Art Museum (Haugar Vestfold Kunstmuseum) at Tønsberg in Vestfold.

{{cite web|url= http://samling.nasjonalmuseet.no/no/object/NAMT.b_e069.016|title=Sjømannsskolen i Tønsberg|publisher= nasjonalmuseet.no

|accessdate= 1 September 2017}}{{cite web|url= http://www.haugar.com/en/about-haugar/|title= Haugar Art Museum|publisher= vestfoldmuseene |accessdate= 1 September 2017}}