Technical description

X-ray photographs reveals two essential changes to the painting. One of them shows that a figure behind the tree has been painted over. The other is a retouching or painting over of branches with apple blossoms in the upper right area . The branches originally stretched across the sky and continued to the edge of the picture frame. 

According to Øystein Loge the painting was signed secondarily. The assertion is based on a reproduction accompanying an article by Per Korsvold, published in the periodical Samleren in 1931, but it must be a mistake. Comparisons reveal that the reproduction was cut off in such a way that the signature fell outside the framing. At the Commemorative Exhibition in 1928 the painting was listed with the signature “N. Astrup”, and this is in keeping with today’s signature. It is nevertheless worth mentioning that this signature is conspicuously similar in colour and execution to the signatures in the painting Birthday in the Parsonage Garden (K193) and Midsummer Eve Bonfire by the Shore II (K146), which were both added secondarily, after the artist’s death. Technical analyses have not yet been made that might verify whether the same pigments were used.

Provenance

-1911-1928:

Artist

Nikolai Astrup

(1880-1928)

1928-1932:

By descent, to

Engel Astrup

(1892-1966)

1932-1973:

Purchased at exhibition by

Haugesund Kunstforening

1973-current:

On deposit to

Haugesund Billedgalleri

Exhibition history

Solo exhibition

1928-10-10 - 1928-11-4

Nikolai Astrup. Mindeutstilling

Bergen

Catalogue number 100

See exhibition

1928-11-11 - 1928-12-9

Nikolai Astrup. Mindeutstilling

Kristiania (Oslo)

Catalogue number 100

See exhibition

1932-4-19 - 1932-5-8

Nicolai Astrup

Catalogue number [no]

See exhibition

1955-1-10 - 1955-12-31

Nikolai Astrup. Malerier og tresnitt

Oslo

Catalogue number 77

See exhibition

1956-11-2 - 1956

Nikolai Astrup 1880–1928

Stockholm

Catalogue number 42

See exhibition

1965-12-1 - 1965-12-19

Nikolai Astrup

København

Catalogue number 27

See exhibition

1971-1-13 - 1971-2-2

Nikolai Astrup

Oslo

Catalogue number 30

See exhibition

1980-3-14 - 1980-4-7

Nikolai Astrup 1880–1928. Maleri, tegning, grafikk

Bergen

Catalogue number 62

See exhibition

1980-4-12 - 1980-5-4

Nikolai Astrup 1880–1928. Maleri, tegning, grafikk

Oslo

Catalogue number 62

See exhibition

1980-6-4 - 1980-6-29

Nikolai Astrup 1880–1928. Maleri, tegning, grafikk

Trondheim

Catalogue number 62

See exhibition

1987-5-23 - 1987-9-30

Nikolai Astrup 1880–1928

Åmot

Catalogue number 25

See exhibition

Group exhibition

1958-4-25 - 1958-5-10

Barnebilder i norsk kunst

Oslo

Catalogue number [no]

See exhibition

Bibliography

Nordiska Konstförbundet. Nikolai Astrup 1880–1928. Stockholm: Nordiska Konstförbundet, 1956.

Loge, Øystein. Betrothed to Nature. Oslo: Det Norske Samlaget, 2010.

Bergens Kunstforening. Nikolai Astrup 1880–1928. Mindeutstilling. Bergen: Bergens kunstforening, 1928.

Haavardsholm, Frøydis. Nikolai Astrup. Oslo: Gyldendal, 1935.