Farmstead in Western Norway at Night in Spring

There are no known descriptions or photographs of this painting, but Astrup’s title indicates that it depicts the cluster of farm buildings at Ålhus in springtime. The other works in this series of paintings of the farmstead are summertime motifs with marsh marigolds, mainly from June. This spring version is thus a departure from that pattern.

The painting “Farmstead in Western Norway at Night in Spring” was loaned to Astrup’s exhibition at Kunstnerforbundet (artists’ association) in 1911 by William Nygaard (1865–1952), who owned the publishing house H. Aschehoug & Co (W. Nygaard). Nygaard also loaned the painting  A Bright Night in June, Jølster (K42), which he had bought at Astrup’s exhibition at Blomqvist in 1905. It is unclear both when “Farmstead in Western Norway at Night in Spring” was painted and when Nygaard acquired it. Astrup did not include it on his list of proposed works for the exhibition in 1911, which may suggest that the painting was not sold directly to Nygaard by Astrup himself.