Viking-Venus-Art-Catalog

THE RESTAURANT ENTRANCE | DECK 2
FRITS THAULOW
1847–1906 NORWAY OIL ON PLATE
Norwegian impressionist painter Frits Thaulow is most famous for his naturalistic depictions of landscapes. Thaulow experienced a successful career during
his lifetime and is today considered to be one of the leading artists of his generation.
After completing his education in the field of pharmacy, Thaulow chose to turn his focus on art and studied it in Copenhagen and Karlsruhe. He was one of
the earliest artists to paint in Skagen in northern Jutland, Denmark, famous for its Skagen Painters. Thaulow arrived here in 1879 with his friend Christian
Krohg and abandoned his specialization in marine painting, turning instead to Skagen’s favorite subjects—fishermen and boats on the shore. These early
expressions were the starting points for the atmospheric depictions of nature and cultural landscape that later put him on the world map.
Returning to Norway in 1880, Thaulow became a significant figure in the Norwegian art scene, together with Krohg and Erik Werenskiold. And in 1882,
he helped establish the first National Art Exhibition (also known as the Autumn Exhibition).
Many of Thaulow’s best-known Norwegian works are of Åsgårdstrand, which had become an important center for artists and painters in the 1880s. But in
the late 1890s, Thaulow traveled to Europe and visited Venice, which came to have an important influence on his work. It was, however, in France that he
found his home and where he encountered French impressionism. He moved permanently to the country in 1892, but continued to participate eagerly in
the art debate in Norway.
A WINTER DAY IN NORWAY | 1886
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