De Unges Utstilling
The “Young Artists Exhibition” was an annual show at C. W. Blomqvist Art Dealers in Kristiania (Oslo) initiated during the 1890s (from 1919 it was moved to the artist association Kunstnerforbundet). According to one critic the exhibition was “a spring fete”, and great expectations were attached to “Aspiring talents or Wealth of Ideas”. In 1902, 50 paintings and sculptures were shown – while 87 were rejected – and included among the exhibitors were Cecilie Dahl, Otto Valstad, Severin Grande, Karl Løkke, Arnold Thornam and Nikolai Astrup.
This year the critics agreed that the exhibition offered little in the way of “significant artistic Surprises”. It was too homogenous; the artists were too similar and there was a lack of originality and autonomy. Astrup, who exhibited only one work, Kjøsnesstova (Kjøsnes cabin), was one of the artist’s mentioned in the press, albeit with moderate enthusiasm: “Atrup’s ‘Smokehouse’ is not particularly interesting, but is well observed”.