Early Life, Family and Training Born in the village of Brandbu on 25 February 1858, Helene Gundersen entered a world shaped by the steady industry of her family. She was the daughter of Karen Fougner and Christian Gundersen, a man who made his living as a merchant. These early years in Norway provided the foundation for a life that would eventually seek the light of the studio and the complexities of the human form. Her path toward t…