Most early Minnesota artists of Norwegian background made their living as designers or decorators. Sverre Hanssen (1891-1968), a 1924 immigrant to St. Paul from the northern islands of Lofoten, was among the last of these. Trained in Norway, he was immediately employed by established decorating firms in St. Paul and got major commissions on his own. His work on the state capitol ranged from interior painting and stenciling to applying gold leaf to the horses over the entry and to the dome.
