Olof Thunman

Olof Thunman was born on February 18, 1879, in Uppsala, Sweden, into a cultured family with a strong artistic orientation. His father, Konrad Thunman, was a professor and writer, which nurtured his early interest in literature and artistic creation.

He grew up in Uppsala and later studied at Uppsala University, a prestigious institution that has produced many Swedish intellectuals and artists. There, he mainly studied literature and history, while also devoting himself to drawing, painting, and writing poetry.

Thunman was a versatile figure: a lyrical poet, a symbolist painter, and a writer of popular songs. His poetry is marked by a deep sensitivity to nature, human emotions, and a mystical tone, often inspired by the Swedish and Nordic romantic tradition.

He was influenced by Carl Jonas Love Almqvist and other Scandinavian romantic poets, as well as by European symbolist painting.

He published several poetry collections in which he celebrated the seasons, rural life, love, and solitude—often with a musicality reminiscent of song. Some of his works became popular songs in Sweden, such as:

“Vi gå över daggstänkta berg” (“We Walk Over Dewy Mountains”) — probably his most famous piece, set to music by Edwin Ericsson. This song is still sung today in schools and at traditional celebrations.

Olof Thunman was also a talented visual artist. He practiced pen drawing and watercolor painting, producing works of delicate style, often imbued with melancholy and spirituality. His favorite subjects included Swedish landscapes, forests, Nordic skies, and intimate portraits.

His style, while not academic, belongs to a late symbolist and romantic vein, sometimes influenced by Art Nouveau or the German Jugendstil movement.

He exhibited his works on a few occasions but remained primarily a discreet creator, preferring the intimacy of nature and small literary circles to public recognition.

Thunman also pursued a career as a teacher. He taught literature and history and was described by his students as an inspiring, demanding, and deeply humane teacher. His pedagogical approach placed great importance on inner freedom, artistic sensitivity, and respect for each individual’s pace.

He was also close to the progressive educational ideas of his time, which emphasized awakening the child through art and nature—in the spirit of Rousseau or Maria Montessori.

Olof Thunman led a simple life, divided between his artistic calling and his teaching work. He was not very social but was highly respected in Swedish intellectual circles. His personality was described as introspective, gentle, and contemplative, sometimes touched by melancholy but always driven by a deep faith in beauty and poetic truth.

He corresponded with other Swedish artists and thinkers and left a significant mark on the country’s popular culture, notably through his songs.

He died on October 13, 1944, in Sigtuna, one of Sweden’s oldest towns. He had been living there for several years, surrounded by nature and history.

Today, Olof Thunman is considered a quintessentially Swedish poetic figure, at the crossroads of folk tradition and romantic inspiration. His name remains associated with a certain idea of childhood, dreaming, and communion with the Nordic natural world.