Spring Day at Hove in Sogn

There are no known descriptions or photographs of this painting, but Astrup’s title indicates that it depicts a springtime scene from Hove in the municipality of Vik in Sogn. This was a unique place with a medieval stone church.

The work was described as “a small, unimportant picture” by the artist, and the subject for it probably dates from 1908. That year, Astrup and his friend Anton Fond (1866–1938) travelled to Sogn. There Astrup painted Buttercups and Apple Tree (K85) at Feios, which lies to the east of Vik.

In Astrup’s list from 1927, the artist states that the unknown painting is probably in the possession of the shipowner Thorvald Halvorsen (1879–1950). Before 1914, Astrup gave the picture to Per Korsvold (1887–date), a journalist and critic at the newspaper Bergens Tidende. Korsvold sold it on to Halvorsen, which Astrup was unhappy about. Firstly, because he made no money out of the sale, and secondly, because Astrup did not want the picture to be part of Halvorsen’s collection. Halvorsen reportedly had a large art collection, but he was reluctant to loan any works to exhibitions.

Astrup includes the work in his list from 1927, but the subsequent provenance of “Spring Day at Hove in Sogn” is unknown. Of the four Astrup paintings owned by Halvorsen, only one has been located so far.