Tyra Lundgren

Tyra Carolina Lundgren (9 January 1897 – 20 November 1979) was a Swedish painter, ceramist, glass and textile designer, and writer. One of the most versatile artists and modernists of the 20th century, Lundgren was the first woman to design glass for Paolo Venini and emerged as a pioneer of the Swedish Grace style. In 1950, she was awarded the Swedish royal medal Litteris et Artibus in recognition of her artistic career. Tyra Lundgren was born on 9 January 1897 into a family of six children in Stockholm, Sweden. She was the daughter of John Petter Lundgren, a professor at Veterinärinstitutet, and Edith, née Åberg. Growing up in an affluent and socially active family, Lundgren discovered her love for art. She attended Djursholm coeducational school, where she was taught by Natanael and Elsa Beskow, and Alice Tegnérgrew. In 1913, Lundgren joined Högre konstindustriella skolan, where she received lessons on decorative art and handicrafts, and remained at the school for four years. She also simultaneously received painting lessons at Althin, a painting school. She subsequently became a student at the Royal Swedish Academy of Fine Arts in 1917, while also studying under Anton Hanak in Vienna and André Lhote in Paris.