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Lars Haukaness was a prolific landscape painter who was particularly interested in the Canadian Rocky Mountains; he connected them to the landscape, spirituality, and sagas of his native home, Norway. Throughout his career, Haukaness was also an avid painter of portraits, religious motifs, and murals. Born in Norway in 1862, Lars Haukaness studied under Edvard Munch for four years at the Royal Academy of Norway in Oslo. He was recognized early as an exceptional talent and won a scholarship to continue his studies. His early training was influenced by Romanticism and Impressionism, as well as French and German Realism. In 1888, he immigrated to the United States with his brother and sister, escaping from a country wracked by poverty and economic depression. He lived and exhibited in Chicago, Illinois and Madison, Wisconsin for four years, before returning to Norway for a further four years. In 1913, he returned to Chicago, and in 1919 moved to Manitoba to teach at the Winnipeg School of Art until 1924. In 1926, he moved to Calgary, Alberta and became the first professional fine art instructor at the Provincial Institute of Technology and Art (later renamed the Alberta College of Art and Design). He died near Banff in 1929. There are 17 paintings by Lars Haukaness in the University of Alberta Art Collection.