i
i
i l i i
H
mil
I ' 1
11
labours in altogether different fields, and especially as a witty and
humorous writer of newspaper articles. Among these the interview
combined with portrait, is his peculiar province. A series of them has
been published under the title of «Dagens mamd» (Men of the Day).
Krohg’s work has reached its highest artistic perfection in
his pictures from Skagen, which are free from every purpose but
tha t of delighting the eye — «G-ammel kone» (Old Woman), «Sovende
fiskerfamilie» (Sleeping Fisher-Family). Krohg has produced a true
and characteristic type from the east-country pilots and sailors.
Among his pilot pictures* we will mention «Nordenvind» (North
Wind). «.Dei: tunge budskab» (Heavy Tidings), and .«Hart he».
(Hard a-lee). Closely allied to these is his one attempt at historical
painting s==? «Leiv Eriksson som opdager Amerika» (Leiv Eriksson
Discovering America), now in the Chicago Museum. Krohg has
also executed capital portraits of Johan Sverdrup, and of Gerhard
Munthe and other Norwegian artists. On the other hand, his illustrations'to
Henrik Ibsen’s «Terje Yiken» and Snorre Sturlason’s
Royal 6agas are of less importance.
F r i t z T h a im .o w (born 1847) may.be named as a third leader
in the cause of naturalism. He first studied in Copenhagen, and
then in Carlsruhe under Gude; but most importance attaches to
the .three years he studied in Paris. His young and enthusiastic
artist’s soul found a new ideal -in open-air painting. When he
came home, he founded an open-air academy at Modum, where his
example, his enthusiasm, and his persuasive personality, exercised
a great influence upon the- younger generation of landscape-painters.
He was truly made to gather young men about him. Enthusiastic
and amiable, rich and independent, active and handsome, full
of good humour and bold confidence, he ■ was one of the central
figures in the young generation of artists. Thaulow is very sensitive
to enjoyment in art, and his aim in painting is to give an
impression of beauty. In his earlier winter pictures, he has represented
the clear Norwegian winter’s day with great freshness.
But his art is always insinuating, whether he paints sunny pictures
or nature veiled, which is really his element, whether he reproduces
Norwegian or French scenery. Of late years, he has returned to
the studio, and it is especially by his later productions that he
has won warm admirers in Paris, London and America, and an
international renown. But it would be of little use to instance a
few examples of his extraordinarily facile and multitudinous pro