National Museum, Oslo – serie

Hardly another name is better known in Norwegian art history than that of Hans Gude. He is usually referred to together with Adolph Tidemand, as the two artists are inextricably linked through their famous collaborative project Bridal Procession on the Hardangerfjord, painted in Düsseldorf in 1848, which has become a national icon.This book presents Hans Gude's maritime pictures and coastal landscapes, while also highlighting his important role as an inspiring teacher of Norwegian artists such as Eilif Peterssen, Kitty Kielland, Frits Thaulow, Christian Krohg and many others as a professor at the art academy in Karlsruhe.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.

Erling Viksjø's buildings challenge our notions about what constitutes good architecture. His extensive use of concrete, modules and repetitive shapes has caused many to describe him as Norway's foremost Brutalist architect. Viksjø also went furthest in collaborating with visual artists. Concrete in Transition examines the encounter between art and architecture in Viksjø's projects. How could one attain a unified design where art was no longer an addition to, or in competition with, the architecture? This publication discusses Viksjø's collaborations with well-established artists such as Hannah Ryggen and Kai Fjell, and young Modernists including Odd Tandberg, Carl Nesjar and Inger Sitter. In addition, it discusses the projects in which he collaborated with Pablo Picasso.Text in English and Norwegian.

"Colour orgies […] slung up on the walls." This was just one of many caustic remarks aimed at Thorvald Hellesen’s first – and last – exhibition in Norway, held in 1919. He would never again exhibit in his native country, where he was gradually forgotten. In Paris, Hellesen became part of the Cubist circle in Montparnasse. Here he got to know Pablo Picasso, Juan Gris, Albert Gleizes and Fernand Léger. In around 1920, he finally achieved critical acclaim. He became a member of Section d’Or, was a frequent Salon exhibitor, and had his work reproduced in Der Sturm and De Stijl. "Among the Cubists, Hellesen is one of the most interesting," declared Amédée Ozenfant.  This richly illustrated and well researched catalogue illuminates the whole span of Hellesen’s Cubism. His interactions with Orphism, Crystal Cubism and Mechanical Cubism are explored, together with his attempts to exploit Cubism in interior design and fashion. The book also examines Hellesen’s status as an outsider in Norway and partial insider in Paris – and subsequently as an overlooked pioneer of the Norwegian and Nordic avant-garde.Text in English and Norwegian.

Explosive technological development and several global crises have left their mark on society in recent decades. What impact do such upheavals have on architects and the way they work?With contributions from Sam Jakob, Helen Runting, Max Creasy, Joakim Skajaa and Kellenberger White.Text in English and Norwegian.

The book deals with Norwegian artist Anna-Eva Bergman (1909–1987) and her paintings from the period 1950–1975. She left behind an exceptional collection of works and had a career that stands out in Norwegian art history.This book brings together several of her best-known monumental paintings. The simplified depictions of mountains, seas, moons and horizons speak to us today. "The way to art goes through nature and our attitude towards it", Bergman wrote in 1950. Today, the statement has renewed relevance in view of a vulnerable nature and humankind's footprint on the planet. Through her pictures, she continues to engage and create space for reflection on this subject. Furthermore, the book examines, among other things, Bergman's techniques, her relationship with architecture, as well as her abstract artistic expression.Text in English and Norwegian.

After studying art for many years under highly respected teachers, Asta Nørregaard (1853–1933) became an established artist. She exhibited at the Paris Salon and carried out numerous portrait commissions for prominent figures from the upper class of Norwegian society, and from the fields of science and culture. She also ran her own painting school and established endowments for female artists and musicians. Even though Nørregaard is primarily known for her portraits, she also painted landscapes, interiors, and religious scenes. For many years, Nørregaard was overshadowed by more famous contemporaries, but recently she has gained recognition as a substantial force in Norwegian art history.This book brings together the breadth of Nørregaard’s artistic practice. It presents portraits of leading cultural and scientific figures of her time, studies of dress and fashion, and a museum-based detective story in which the question of who is portrayed takes centre stage. Taken together, the texts offer an understanding of Nørregaard, not only as a portrait painter, but as an active participant in the art world and as an artist who challenged the boundaries of what women could be in her time

The Sick Child, painted in 1885-86, is one of the most well-known, frequently discussed and highly analysed single works in Edvard Munch's oeuvre. The painting was shown for the first time in 1886 at the third National Art Exhibition, also known as the Annual Autumn Exhibition, under the title Study. The exhibition took place at the National Gallery, and later the work acquired a central position within the museum's collection. Øystein Ustvedt's essay in the catalogue provides a thorough introduction to the picture and its history, highlighting its creation, the motif, its reception, its provenance and later versions. Trond E. Aslakby's article is based on comprehensive technical examinations of the National Museum's version of the painting, focusing on technique and treatment.Text in English and Norwegian.

Refusing to be content with a single form of expression or confined by a single artistic movement, the French-American artist Louise Bourgeois (1911–2010) explored a variety of styles and techniques that few artists can rival.Works from her entire career are presented in this publication, from her paintings and prints from the 1940s to the Cells she created in her final decades. These works enter into dialogue with artworks by Pablo Picasso, Carol Rama, Arshile Gorky, Louise Nevelson, Senga Nengudi, Alina Szapocznikow, Seni Awa Camara, Nan Goldin, Robert Gober and Anna Maria Maiolino, among others.Text in English and Norwegian.