''Dawn'' is an oil on canvas painting by the Norwegian artist
Odd Nerdrum
Odd Nerdrum (born 8 April 1944) is a Norwegian figurative painter, born in Sweden, and considered to be one of the greatest living classical figurative painters.
His work is held by museums worldwide. Themes and style in Nerdrum's work referenc ...
, painted in 1989. It is held in a private collection.
Description
The painting depicts four identical men in a grey rocky landscape. The men are seen from the side as they sit on the ground, largely naked, with skull caps and leather wrapped around their shoulders; they face the sky above them with closed eyes and open mouths. Each of the men has a staff lying in the ground, near them.
It is one of Nerdrum's largest paintings and one he has said he is "very pleased with".
History
''Dawn'' was shown at
Høstutstillingen
Høstutstillingen or Statens kunstutstilling (English: ''The Autumn Exhibition'' or ''National Art Exhibition'') is an annual art exhibition in Oslo, Norway. The exhibition is Norway's largest marking of contemporary art and takes place each autum ...
in 1989. The rock musician
David Bowie
David Robert Jones (8 January 194710 January 2016), known professionally as David Bowie ( ), was an English singer-songwriter and actor. A leading figure in the music industry, he is regarded as one of the most influential musicians of the ...
bought it at the Raab Gallery in Berlin in the autumn of 1990. According to ''
Dagens Næringsliv
''Dagens Næringsliv'' (Norwegian for "Today's Business"), commonly known as ''DN'', is a Norwegian newspaper specializing in business news. , it is the third-largest newspaper in Norway. Editor-in-chief is Janne Johannessen, who was appointed i ...
'', Bowie paid 1.5 million
Norwegian kroner
The krone (, abbreviation: kr (also NKr for distinction); code: NOK), plural ''kroner'', is currency of the Kingdom of Norway (including Svalbard). Traditionally known as the Norwegian crown in English. It is nominally subdivided into 100 ''øre ...
for the painting. While visiting Oslo on 22 October 1991 for a performance with
Tin Machine
Tin Machine were a British–American rock band formed in 1988, and fronted by English singer-songwriter David Bowie. The band consisted of Bowie on lead vocals, saxophone and guitar; Reeves Gabrels on guitar and vocals; Tony Fox Sales on bass ...
, Bowie organised an hour-long meeting with Nerdrum, during which he asked Nerdrum to tell him as much as possible about his worldview and the symbols behind the painting.
''Dawn'' has been reproduced repeatedly in the body of literature on Nerdrum. It was part of the solo exhibitions dedicated to the artist at the Gerald Piltzer Galerie in Paris in 1994 and the
Astrup Fearnley Museum of Modern Art
The Astrup Fearnley Museum of Modern Art is a privately owned contemporary art gallery in Oslo in Norway. It was founded and opened to the public in 1993. The collection's main focus is the American appropriation artists from the 1980s, but it is ...
in Oslo in 1998.
Following Bowie's death it was sold at auction on 11 November 2016.
Sotheby's
Sotheby's () is a British-founded American multinational corporation with headquarters in New York City. It is one of the world's largest brokers of fine and decorative art, jewellery, and collectibles. It has 80 locations in 40 countries, and ...
had estimated its value at 60,000—80,000 GBP, but it was sold for £341,000 ($428,637).
This was a new record for a Nerdrum painting, surpassing the record held by ''
The Cloud'' from 2008.
Influence
The 2000 American film ''
The Cell'', directed by
Tarsem Singh
Tarsem Singh Dhandwar (born 26 May 1961), known professionally as Tarsem, is an Indian director who has worked on films, music videos, and commercials. He directed ''The Cell (film), The Cell'' (2000), ''The Fall (2006 film), The Fall'' (2006, ...
, has a scene that is strongly inspired by ''Dawn''. According to Singh, he had seen the painting while visiting Bowie in his home.
Literature
* Jan-Erik Hansen, ''Odd Nerdrum: Malerier'', Oslo, 1994, illustrated p.207;
* Jan Pettersson, ''Odd Nerdrum: Storyteller and Self-Revealer'', Oslo, 1999, no.50, illustrated p.109;
* Odd Nerdrum, ''Odd Nerdrum: Temaer: Malerier, Tegninger, Grafikk Og Skulpturer'', Oslo, 2007, illustrated p.551;
* Richard Vine, Inger Schjoldager, and Louisa Charles, ''The Nerdrum School: The Master and His Students'', Stockholm, 2013, illustrated p.6 (detail) and illustrated p.196;
* Barbara Vetland, ''Tidloes Omsorg, Mor Og Barn-Motivet I Odd Nerdrums Malerier: Et Essay'', Oslo, 2013, illustrated p.23.
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Dawn
1989 paintings
Paintings by Odd Nerdrum