Wood-Carved Panel
This carved wooden panel was made by painter and woodcarver Peter Wedin.
Peter immigrated to Minnesota in 1923 and worked as a woodcarver for a furniture factory in Minneapolis from 1923 to 1930. After 13 years spent in Montreal, Wedin returned to Minneapolis in 1943. Wedin studied portrait and landscape painting at the Hermods Correspondence Institute in Sweden. He visited Sweden four times and once exhibited his woodcarvings in Karlskoga.
Peter continued his skill and hobby of carving 3D wood panels until the 1970’s. He entered many of these wood panels at the Minnesota State Fair and won ribbons.
This scene is “Busy Bees” and depicts a coffee FIKA in a traditional Swedish home. Notice the woven rag rug on the floor, the Mora clock, a plate of sugar cubes, the copper tea kettle, and the dear ladies wearing headscarves – all clearly depicting Swedish life pre-WWII.
This piece is dated 1971 and was gifted to Gammelgarden by Phyllis Bakke, the long-serving Secretary to the Swedish Consulate Office in Minneapolis. Gammelgarden is the owner of eight panels created by Peter Wedin dating from 1924-1971.
