X-ray photographs reveals two essential changes to the painting. One of them shows that a figure behind the tree has been painted over. The other is a retouching or painting over of branches with apple blossoms in the upper right area . The branches originally stretched across the sky and continued to the edge of the picture frame.

According to Øystein Loge the painting was signed secondarily. The assertion is based on a reproduction accompanying an article by Per Korsvold, published in the periodical Samleren in 1931, but it must be a mistake. Comparisons reveal that the reproduction was cut off in such a way that the signature fell outside the framing. At the Commemorative Exhibition in 1928 the painting was listed with the signature “N. Astrup”, and this is in keeping with today’s signature. It is nevertheless worth mentioning that this signature is conspicuously similar in colour and execution to the signatures in the painting Birthday in the Parsonage Garden (K193) and Midsummer Eve Bonfire by the Shore II (K146), which were both added secondarily, after the artist’s death. Technical analyses have not yet been made that might verify whether the same pigments were used.

Haugesund Billedgalleri

Grunnlagt: 1973

Type

Motiv

Lokalitet

Datering

In the Garden

Oil on canvas

1911 - 1928