Nils Ohlsen - Böcker

Erik Werenskiold is regarded as one of the "golden age" painters of Norwegian art. He was active as an artist for many decades and addressed the political, social and ideological upheavals of his time. The exhibition was designed to provide insight into Werenskiold's important contribution as an artist, and to examine different aspects of his production. His artistic practice ranges from the historicising figure painting of the 1870s through the painterly naturalism of the 1880s to the atmospheric works of the 1890s and on to the decorative surfaces of the turn of the century, and the catalogue articles address all of these periods. Later in his career he was influenced by the art of Paul Cézanne, the new objectivity of the 1920s and the socially critical art of the 1930s. Both paintings and drawings are examined.Text in English and Norwegian.

Christian Krohg was a key figure in the Norwegian art community of the 1880s and 1890s, and was strongly influenced by the ideology of realism. In his view, art should have meaning for a broad segment of the population, not merely serve as wall decorations for the bourgeoisie. Three types of motifs were recurrent themes for Krohg during this period: the working-class hero, scenes from family life and "the fallen woman". Many people responded to his literary and visual representations of the poverty-stricken girl Albertine. He depicted members of the working class with great sympathy in paintings such as Errand Boy Drinking Coffee and Woman Cutting Bread. The Gaihede family, fishermen from Skagen in Denmark, are portrayed in many everyday situations, as are members of Krohg's own family. The catalogue sheds light on the subject matter of the exhibition, Krohg's period of study in Berlin and its impact on him, his relationship with Georg Brandes, the novel Albertine and Krohg's own use of photography as a model for his work and a medium.Text in English and Norwegian.