Nikolai Astrup. Rå natur

Visions of Norway celebrates the innovative Norwegian painter, printmaker, and horticulturalist Nikolai Astrup (1880–1928). The exhibition examines Astrup’s remarkable life, the development of his distinctive style, and his keen interest in the landscape and folk traditions of western Norway.

Astrup began his career following a conventional path, studying in Kristiania (now Oslo) and Paris. On completing his studies abroad, he made the unexpected decision not to settle in Kristiania, the artistic capital of Norway, but to return to Jølster, the region in western Norway where he had spent his childhood. He lived in this relatively remote area for the rest of his life, producing an unparalleled body of work that celebrates Norway’s dramatic scenery, challenging climate, and rich local traditions. Despite his relative geographic isolation, he was acutely aware of, and interested in, contemporary developments in European art that nurtured his own style. He also explored woodblock printing, adopting an increasingly complex practice that resulted in almost every print being a unique impression. With its intense colours, patterned surfaces, and illogical perspectives, Astrup’s art is decidedly individual and modern, and invites discovery and enjoyment.

Nikolai Astrup. Vision of Norway is curated by independent scholar MaryAnne Stevens and organized in cooperation with Clark Art Institute, Williamstown, Massachusetts, and Prince Eugen’s Waldemarsudde, Stockholm.

The exhibition is generously supported by the Savings Bank Foundation DNB.