Johannes Rian

He was a son of farmers Peter Rian (1856–1934) and Elen Blengslien (1864–1952). He also worked at the family farm, but left this career in 1927 to pursue painting. He studied at the Norwegian National Academy of Fine Arts from 1928 to 1930 under Axel Revold. He was also inspired by Henrik Sørensen, and Revold's teacher Henri Matisse. In 1936 he married his secretary Ellen Gjønnæs (1903–1961). In 1950, Rian was provided with a Thomas Fearnley Memorial Scholarship and traveled to the south of France. Rian exhibited at the contemporary art gallery Kunstnerforbundet in Oslo several times between 1930 and 1957, and also at the São Paulo Biennal in 1967/68. From 1960 he mainly exhibited at Galleri Haaken in Oslo. He also started painting nonfigurative art. The Norwegian Museum of Contemporary Art owns eight of his paintings. He was decorated with the Royal Norwegian Order of St. Olav in 1978 and died in 1981 at Oslo.

Johannes Rian studied at Norwegian National Academy of Craft and Art Industry and Norwegian National Academy of Fine Arts. The recorded working language is Norwegian. Work by Johannes Rian is recorded in the collections of Statens Museum for Kunst and National Museum of Art, Architecture and Design.

• Pike med katt, 1932 • Lekselesing, 1946 • Dame med sort katt, 1946 • Côte d'Azur, 1950 • Rødt interiør, 1950 • Damen med celloen, 1950 • Blått atelier, 1953 • Nonnespeilet, 1961 • Dekorasjon, 1966 • Former på blå bunn, 1967