Nikolai Astrup

Astrup arranged his first solo exhibition in April 1905. The exhibition was shown in the venues of C. W. Blomqvist Art Dealers in Kristiania (Oslo). The art dealer had little belief in the young and unknown artist, and left the job of mounting the exhibition to Astrup himself. The exhibition was a success: Astrup won overwhelming acclaim in the newspapers, and the critics were united in their assessment that the newcomer had contributed something new and unique with his art. Astrup was referred to as a West Norwegian “ingénue” with an obvious coloristic gift; he was free of both academic schooling and contemporary trends. The scope of the exhibition is difficult to determine from the references. One critic writes 50 works, while another claims that the number of paintings exhibited was between 30 and 40. The sales’ receipts provide the only list of works from the exhibition, and reveal that Astrup had sold 16 pictures.