Background
Rolfsen was born in Kristiania as the son of writer Nordahl Rolfsen and Hedevig Martha Hastrup Birch.
Rolfsen was born in Kristiania as the son of writer Nordahl Rolfsen and Hedevig Martha Hastrup Birch.
Rolfsen is represented in the National Gallery of Norway with several oil paintings, such as Kilden from 1926, Gruppe from 1931 and Den store stasjon from 1932. He is best known for his fresco paintings. His main work is the decoration of Oslo Vestre Krematorium, and he decorated churches and public buildings, such as the Oslo City Hall and Haugesund City Hall.
The northern wall is covered by the painting titled Arbeidets Norge fra de drivende garn til skovene i øst.
On the eastern wall is the work Okkupasjonshistorien, about 30 metres long, with motives from the occupation of Norway between 1940 and 1945. The painting on the western wall is called Saint Hallvard, after Oslo"s patron saint.
The decorations of the City Hall were finished and uncovered in 1950. Among Rolfsen"s book illustrations are an edition of Asbjørnsen and Moe"s fairy tales and later editions of his father"s readers.
He has written books and articles on art and artists.