Bitter Autumn Evening by the Old and New Parsonage at Jølster

There are no known descriptions or photographs of this lost painting, but Astrup’s title indicates that it depicts the parsonage buildings at Ålhus in Jølster on a bitter autumn day.

The painting was on sale at Astrup’s 1908 exhibition at Bergens kunstforening (art society) for 150 kroner. The painting was not sold, but the society’s records show that the painting was sent to Ole Johannessen (1858–1948) in Bergen. Johannessen was married to Hanna Lodtz (1862–1948), who was a cousin of Astrup’s mother, Petra Constanse Astrup, née Lodtz (1860–1930). In conjunction with the exhibition, several pictures were sent to Johannessen to be stored.

In Astrup’s list of works from 1927, the artist writes that the painting was lost in the Bergen fire of 1916. It is not known who owned the work at that point. Astrup’s aunt and uncle lived at Fortunen 12, in one of the streets ravaged by the fire, but he also stored a number of paintings with Moritz Kaland (1869–1947) – and the latter’s studio was completely destroyed by the city fire. Astrup also writes that Johannessen has the study for this subject, “Bitter Autumn Evening” (U039). The study was exhibited at the memorial exhibitions in Bergen and Kristiania (Oslo) in 1928, but it is also one of the artist’s unknown works.