Great Norwegian artists & painters

Throughout history, famous artists and painters have been drawn to Lillehammer and Gudbrandsdalen – and they still are. The fresh air and beautiful landscape with lush, green valleys and majestic mountains are important reasons why many artists past and present have chosen this as their home. In the past, easy access was an important factor, and the railway made it easy to travel to and from. Many left to seek inspiration, also abroad, before returning home to the artist community in the green valley.

Lillehammer Art Museum is considered one of the country's most significant of its kind, and is located in the heart of Lillehammer. Standing proudly by the Market Square in downtown Lillehammer, the museum is home to a remarkable and diverse collection of works by Norwegian artists.

Edvard Munch

Edvard Munch (1863–1944) was a Norwegian painter, printmaker, early representative of expressionism and the country's only artist of his kind to have attained undisputed world fame. His work as an artist spans a period of over 60 years, a covers an era with dramatic transformations in European art.

Munch began his career with a realistic period, but was later influenced by the modern, anti-naturalistic direction. He was heavily influenced by the synthetism favoured by Gauguin and his circle. "Scream" (1893; originally named "Despair") is probably Munch's most famous painting, and is considered an icon of existential anguish. It shows how a sudden emotion can play havoc with our senses. Lillehammer Art Museum owns a selection of paintings and graphics by Munch.

Jakob Weidemann

Jakob Weidemann (1923–2001) was a Norwegian artist, and is considered one of the most influential forces in Norwegian modernism in the 1950s and pioneer of the abstract. His work is characterised by the abstract and expressionistic, with nature as inspiration. Despite being associated with a modernistic, non-figurative style, he has become one of Norway's most loved artists.

Weidemann was married to Anne Marie Frøisland. Their home, Ringsveen by Lillehammer, is today administered by a trust and serves as accommodation for young artists.

An exhibition featuring Weidemann-paintings is available at Lillehammer Art Museum.

The Lillehammer painters

"An image of Lillehammer as a town of arts, a cultural hub, an "Athens of the North"".

There were numerous reasons for this perception, but an important aspect was a group of painters spending time in the town at the end of the 19th and beginning of the 20th centuries. From the late 1880s to the First World War, the town was regularly visited by a number of famous artists – some short-term, some for long periods and some who made Lillehammer their home. Among these were painters such as Fredrik Collett, Frits Thaulow, Lars Jorde, Alf Lundeby, Kristen Holbø, Thorvald Erichsen and later Einar Sandberg and Henrik Sørensen.

Did they have anything in common?

They are called the Lillehammer painters, but from an art history point of view this is somewhat misleading. These painters only had two things in common. Firstly, they all spent time in the little town of Lillehammer over a certain period of time, and enjoyed socialising with each other. Secondly, many of their paintings were purchased by merchant Einar Lunde – the reason why these works finally ended up in Lillehammer town's art collection. Stylistically, however, they had very little in common.

Why did the Lillehammer painters come to Lillehammer?

Some were attracted to the town for the very same reasons other people came. Collett found that the dry, clean air relieved his rheumatism. Sørensen came to Langseth Sanatorium in 1899 to recuperate from pleurea, a pulmonary disease. However, they were also fascinated by Lillehammer's landscape and light. The railway line was also important – the town was easy to reach and easy to leave. Being able to leave was of particular essence as most of the painters travelled regularly, often abroad.

You can learn more about the Lillehammer painters and watch some of the painting at First Hotel Breiseth in Lillehammer. Maybe you even want to stay in this historical hotel?