Image: From the exhibition ‘Frits Thaulow’. Photo: Thor Brødreskift / Kode
Kode’s exhibition devoted to Norwegian painter Frits Thaulow will close at Permanenten in Bergen on Sunday 23 August, ending a presentation that brings together works from public and private collections in Norway and abroad. The exhibition, titled ‘Frits Thaulow’, has been on view from 14 February and is described by Kode as a rare opportunity to see the artist’s work assembled on this scale.
Thaulow (1847–1906) was a central figure in the development of modern art in Norway. His fresh, colourful plein-air paintings both attracted enthusiasm and provoked controversy in Norwegian art circles during the early 1880s. The exhibition follows his career chronologically, from his training as a marine painter in the 1870s through his intensive engagement with outdoor painting in the 1880s and his later international career, particularly in Paris.
The presentation examines the range of artistic influences that shaped Thaulow’s work, including naturalism, impressionism, art nouveau and symbolism. He travelled extensively, painting in locations across Norway and Europe, as well as during a stay in Pittsburgh, which he referred to as “the smokey city”. After settling permanently in France in 1892, he became especially associated with technically assured paintings of moving water, winter scenes and nocturnes. Kode’s exhibition includes rivers, gardens, seascapes, dawns and rural landscapes alongside his better-known images of water in motion.
The artist’s connection to western Norway receives particular attention. Early in his career, Thaulow painted several works from Jæren, and a productive stay on Stord at the end of the 1880s resulted in a group of landscape paintings. Several of these works are brought together in the exhibition for the first time, alongside views connected to Bergen. Kode also acquired ‘Den første snøen, Stord’ (1890) for the exhibition; the museum states that it is being shown in Norway for the first time in many years.
Many of the works are loans, including ‘Vinter i Norge’ (1886) from the Musée d’Orsay in Paris. According to Kode, the French state purchased the painting after Thaulow received the Légion d’honneur for his contribution to the 1889 World’s Fair in Paris. Other works listed by the museum include ‘Solnedgang over elven (L’Elle ved Quimperlé)’ (1901), ‘Alkejegeren’ (1892), ‘Hjemvendende tømmerkjørere’ (1892), ‘Kone som skjærer korn, Stord’ (1889) and ‘Rød kirkevegg’ (1897).
The exhibition also addresses Thaulow’s role beyond painting. He was involved in debates about artistic freedom and participated in international exhibitions including the Paris Salon, world exhibitions and the Venice Biennale. In Norway, he was among the initiators of the Høstutstillingen in 1882 and a prominent figure in the campaign to establish Kunstnernes Hus in Oslo. Kode presents the exhibition in collaboration with Haugar Kunstmuseum. It is curated by Øystein Sjåstad with Tove Haugsbø of Kode, and is accompanied by an illustrated catalogue.
Kode developed a music programme around the exhibition, tied to the period’s interest in movement in art and especially in music, and it closes with two events on Saturday 22 August at Permanenten. At 12 noon, the composer and professor emeritus Ståle Kleiberg gives a talk on French symbolist poetry, included in the entrance ticket. At 2 pm, soprano Margrethe Fredheim and pianist Christian Grøvlen perform music by Claude Debussy, with tickets at 290/240/100 kroner. Sunday 23 August is the final viewing day.
