Christian Skredsvig (12 March 1854 – 19 January 1924) was a Norwegian painter and writer. He employed an artistic style reflecting naturalism. He is especially well known for his picturesque and lyrical depictions of the landscape.

Biography

Christian Erichsen Skredsvig was born and grew up on the Skredsvig farm in the parish of

Modum Modum is a municipality in Buskerud in Viken county, Norway. The administrative centre of the municipality is the town of Vikersund. The municipality of Modum was established on 1 January 1838 (see formannskapsdistrikt). The area has a long tr ...

Buskerud Buskerud () is a former county and a current electoral district in Norway, bordering Akershus, Oslo, Oppland, Sogn og Fjordane, Hordaland, Telemark and Vestfold. The region extends from the Oslofjord and Drammensfjorden in the southeast to Hardan ...

, Norway. When he was 15 years old he became a pupil at the drawing and paint school of

Johan Fredrik Eckersberg Johan Fredrik Eckersberg (16 June 1822 – 13 July 1870) was a Norwegian painter most noted for his landscapes. Eckersberg was a prominent figure in the transition from Romanticism to Realism in 19th-century Norwegian art, both as an artistic p ...

in Christiania (now

Oslo Oslo ( , , or ; sma, Oslove) is the capital and most populous city of Norway. It constitutes both a county and a municipality. The municipality of Oslo had a population of in 2022, while the city's greater urban area had a population of ...

). After Eckersberg's death in 1870 he studied with Julius Middelthun at

Norwegian National Academy of Craft and Art Industry The National College of Art and Design ( no, Statens håndverks- og kunstindustriskole) was established in 1818. In 1996 the National College of Art and Design became part of Oslo National Academy of the Arts The Oslo National Academy of the A ...

(''Den kgl. Tegneskole'') in Kristiania (now Oslo). He followed with four years of apprenticeship (1870–1874) in

Copenhagen Copenhagen ( or .; da, København ) is the capital and most populous city of Denmark, with a proper population of around 815.000 in the last quarter of 2022; and some 1.370,000 in the urban area; and the wider Copenhagen metropolitan ar ...

under the supervision of landscape painter Vilhelm Kyhn at the

Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts The Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts ( da, Det Kongelige Danske Kunstakademi - Billedkunst Skolerne) has provided education in the arts for more than 250 years, playing its part in the development of the art of Denmark. History The Royal Dani ...

. Skredsvig was awarded the Schäffer's legacy in 1872 and received a Government sponsored travel allowance during 1876, 1877 and 1880. He settled in 1875 at

Munich Munich ( ; german: München ; bar, Minga ) is the capital and most populous city of the States of Germany, German state of Bavaria. With a population of 1,558,395 inhabitants as of 31 July 2020, it is the List of cities in Germany by popu ...

where he developed lifelong friendships with several the Norwegian artists. He next relocated to

Paris Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), making it the 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2020. S ...

where for a time he was a student of

Léon Bonnat Léon Joseph Florentin Bonnat (20 June 1833 – 8 September 1922) was a French painter, Grand Officer of the Légion d'honneur and professor at the Ecole des Beaux Arts. Early life Bonnat was born in Bayonne, but from 1846 to 1853 he lived in M ...

. He exhibited at the Exposition Universelle at Paris in 1878. In 1881, as the only Norwegian artist, he won the gold medal for his painting ''Une ferme à Venoix'' (1881) at the

Salon Salon may refer to: Common meanings * Beauty salon, a venue for cosmetic treatments * French term for a drawing room, an architectural space in a home * Salon (gathering), a meeting for learning or enjoyment Arts and entertainment * Salon (P ...

of the

Académie des Beaux-Arts An academy (Attic Greek: Ἀκαδήμεια; Koine Greek Ἀκαδημία) is an institution of secondary or tertiary higher learning (and generally also research or honorary membership). The name traces back to Plato's school of philosophy, ...

in Paris. After several years in Paris he moved back to Norway in 1886 and settled at the Fleskum farm in

Bærum Bærum () is a municipality in the Greater Oslo Region in Norway that forms an affluent suburb of Oslo on the west coast of the city. Bærum is Norway's fifth largest municipality with a population of 128,760 (2021). It is part of the electoral ...

. His new home became a gathering place for painters, poets and musicians.

Eilif Peterssen Hjalmar Eilif Emanuel Peterssen (4 September 1852 – 29 December 1928) was a Norwegian painter. He is most commonly associated with his landscapes and portraits. Biography Hjalmar Eilif Emanuel Peterssen was born in Christiania, now Osl ...

Kitty Kielland Kitty Lange Kielland (8 October 1843 – 1 October 1914) was a Norwegian landscape painter. Early life and training Kielland was born to an affluent family in Stavanger, the older sister of Alexander Kielland. Kielland's interactions with her b ...

Harriet Backer Harriet Backer (21 January 1845 – 25 March 1932) was a Norwegian painter who achieved recognition in her own time and was a pioneer among female artists both in the Nordic countries and in Europe generally. She is best known for her detailed ...

and

Erik Werenskiold Erik Theodor Werenskiold (11 February 1855 – 23 November 1938) was a Norwegian painter and illustrator. He is especially known for his drawings for the Asbjørnsen and Moe collection of '' Norske Folkeeventyr'', and his illustrations for ...

all made trips to the farm. Skredsvig's famous neo-romantic painting ''Seljefløiten'' (1889) was painted by the Lake

Dælivannet Dælivannet is a lake in Bærum, Akershus county, Norway. It lies just beneath the Kolsås hill on the East side. The lake contains perch and pike and has a rich bird life. The lake has been the subject of paintings and sketches by many signific ...

in Bærum. He also conducted study trips, to

Corsica Corsica ( , Upper , Southern ; it, Corsica; ; french: Corse ; lij, Còrsega; sc, Còssiga) is an island in the Mediterranean Sea and one of the 18 regions of France. It is the fourth-largest island in the Mediterranean and lies southeast of ...

in 1888 and to southern France in 1891. In 1894, he moved to

Eggedal Eggedal is a valley and parish in Viken county , Norway. It consisting of the northwestern half of the municipality of Sigdal. Location Eggedal is located between Numedalsfjellene in the west and Norefjell in the east, stretching northwards from ...

Sigdal Sigdal is a municipality in Viken county, Norway. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Prestfoss. The municipality of Sigdal was established on 1 January 1838 (see formannskapsdistrikt). The area of Krødsherad was sepa ...

municipality where he built his home Hagan. In the natural landscape of Eggedal, Skredsvig found inspiration and motives to paint. The most famous from this period are perhaps ''Idyll'' (1888) and ''Jupsjøen'' (1904). In 1896 Skredsvig's good friend and fellow student from the years in

, the painter

Theodor Kittelsen Theodor Severin Kittelsen (27 April 1857 – 21 January 1914) was a Norwegian artist. He is one of the most popular artists in Norway. Kittelsen became famous for his nature paintings, as well as for his illustrations of fairy tales and legend ...

, also settled in Sigdal, shortly after having visited Skredsvig in his new home. Skredsvig also became an author. His written works include his autobiography ''Dage og Nætter blandt Kunstnere'' (1908) and novels ''Møllerens Søn'' (1912) and ''Evens hjemkomst'' (1916).

Hagan in Eggedal

Hagan lies high up in

with a view over the Lake Solevann and the mountain

Andersnatten Andersnatten is a mountain located at Eggedal in the municipality of Sigdal in Buskerud, Norway. Andersnatten is a distinctive, round-topped mountain that rises out of the valley floor. Norwegian artists Theodor Kittelsen and Christian Skredsvi ...

. Skredsvig's former home has been a museum since 1970. The furnishings and artifacts are preserved as they were when Skredsvig lived there. His own work and paintings by his friends still hang on the walls, all together about 150 originals pieces of art. The former residence still belongs to members of the Skredsvig family. The municipality of

is responsible for maintenance and management of the museum. Hagan is operated in associated with Buskerud Museet.

Personal life

In 1882, he was married to Maggie Plahte (1863–1955), a daughter of Frithjof M. Plahte (1836–1899) who was a merchant and patron of the arts. They separated and were divorced in 1894. In 1898, Skredsvig married Beret Berg (1877–1969) with whom he had four children. In 1908, Skredsvig was appointed a Knight 1st Class in the Order of St. Olav. Skredsvig lived at Hagan in Eggedal until his death in 1924.

Public displays of art

*''The Tarn'' (1879) National Gallery, Oslo *''Ferme à Venoix'' (1881) Musée de Caen, France *''Oktobermorgen ved Grez'' (1881–82) National Gallery, Oslo *''Sankthansaften'' (1886) National Gallery of Denmark, Copenhagen *''Villa Baciocchi'' (1888) Musée de Corte, Corsica *''Menneskens Søn'' (1891) National Gallery, Oslo *''Jørgen Moe på fisketur'' (ca. 1898) National Gallery, Oslo

Select written work

* ''Dage og Nætter blandt Kunstnere'', 1908 * ''Møllerens Søn'', 1912 * ''Glæas Juleaften'', 1913 * ''Evens Hjemkomst'', 1916 * ''Det gamle skilderi'', 1921

Gallery

Image:Christian Skredsvik -Jørgen Moe (1896).jpg, ''

Jørgen Moe Jørgen Engebretsen Moe (22 April 1813–27 March 1882) was a Norwegian folklorist, bishop, poet, and author. He is best known for the ''Norske Folkeeventyr'', a collection of Norwegian folk tales which he edited in collaboration with Peter ...

'' (1896) Christian Skredsvig - The Tarn - Google Art Project.jpg, ''The Tarn'' (1879) Image:Christian skredswig ferme venoix.jpg, ''Une ferme à Venoix'' (1881) Image:Skredsvig - Ballade.jpg, ''Ballade'' (1881)

References

Other Sources

*Thomsen, Ingrid Reed (1995) ''Chr. Skredsvig'' (Oslo: Grøndahl Dreyer) *Sørensen, Einar: Kjersti Sissener Munthe; Anne Vira Figenschou (2009) ''Christian Skredsvig. Virkelighet og fortelling'' (Oslo: Labyrinth Press)

External links

Hagan official websiteChristian Skredsvik collection at the National Gallery
{{DEFAULTSORT:Skredsvig, Christian 1854 births 1924 deaths People from Modum Oslo National Academy of the Arts alumni Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts alumni 19th-century Norwegian painters 20th-century Norwegian painters Norwegian male painters Skagen Painters People from Sigdal Recipients of the St. Olav's Medal 19th-century Norwegian male artists 20th-century Norwegian male artists