Thursday, September 15, 2016

Gerhard Munthe (1849 - 1929)

Gerhard Munthe - In the Giant's Lair, 1892
In the Giant's Lair, 1892

Gerhard Munthe - The Door in the Rock, 1895
The Door in the Rock, 1895

Gerhard Munthe - The Gate of the Princess, 1894
The Gate of the Princess, 1894

Gerhard Munthe - Asmund Goes Up to the Door in the Rock, 1902-04
Asmund Goes Up to the Door in the Rock, 1902-04

Gerhard Munthe - The First Hall, 1902-04
The First Hall, 1902-04

Gerhard Munthe - The Second Hall, 1902-04
The Second Hall, 1902-04

Gerhard Munthe - The Third hall, 1902-04
The Third hall, 1902-04

Gerhard Munthe - The Fourth Hall, 1902-04
The Fourth Hall, 1902-04

Gerhard Munthe - The Fifth Hall, 1902-04
The Fifth Hall, 1902-04

Gerhard Munthe - Asmund bringing Home Silver and Gold, 1902-04
Asmund bringing Home Silver and Gold, 1902-04

Gerhard Munthe - Asmund in the King's Hall, 1902-04
Asmund in the King's Hall, 1902-04

Gerhard Munthe - Asmund and the Princess Riding Home, 1902-04
Asmund and the Princess Riding Home, 1902-04

Gerhard Munthe - Asmund and Brothers at Sea, 1902:04
Asmund and Brothers at Sea, 1902

Gerhard Munthe - Helhesten, 1892
Helhesten, 1892

Gerhard Munthe - The Bergtagne, From folk song about Liti Kjersti, 1928
The Bergtagne, From folk song about Liti Kjersti, 1928

Gerhard Munthe - Mørkredd, 1892
Mørkredd, 1892

Gerhard Munthe - Tapestry, 1906
Tapestry, 1906

Gerhard Munthe - Saga, 1926Saga, 1926

Gerhard Munthe - Billy Goats Gruff, 1908
Billy Goats Gruff, 1908

Gerhard Munthe - Til Snorre Sturlason, Kongesagaer, Kristiania 1899
Til Snorre Sturlason, Kongesagaer, Kristiania 1899

Gerhard Munthe - Til Snorre Sturlason, Kongesagaer, Kristiania, 1899
Til Snorre Sturlason, Kongesagaer, Kristiania, 1899

Gerhard Munthe - Title Decoration, Harald Hardrades Saga, 1899
Title Decoration, Harald Hardrades Saga, 1899

Gerhard Munthe - Kong Jørund's Death, 1899
Kong Jørund's Death, 1899

Gerhard Munthe - Odin øver seid, 1899
Odin øver seid, 1899

Gerhard Munthe - Sottedøden, 1899Sottedøden, 1899

Gerhard Munthe - The Final Vignette, Yngling Saga, 1899The Final Vignette, Yngling Saga, 1899

Gerhard Munthe - Glælognskvida, 1895-99Glælognskvida, 1895-99

Gerhard Munthe - Norwegian Folk Tales, Illustrated Page 1, 1933Norwegian Folk Tales, Illustrated Page 1, 1933

Gerhard Munthe - Norwegian Folk Tales, Illustrated Page 2, 1933Norwegian Folk Tales, Illustrated Page 2, 1933

Gerhard Munthe - Norwegian Folk Tales, Illustrated Page 3, 1933Norwegian Folk Tales, Illustrated Page 3, 1933

Gerhard Munthe - Norwegian Folk Tales, Illustrated Page 4, 1933Norwegian Folk Tales, Illustrated Page 4, 1933

Gerhard Munthe - Norwegian Folk Tales, Illustrated Page 5, 1933Norwegian Folk Tales, Illustrated Page 5, 1933

Gerhard Munthe - Norwegian Folk Tales, Illustrated Page 6, 1933Norwegian Folk Tales, Illustrated Page 6, 1933

Gerhard Munthe - Norwegian Folk Tales, Illustrated Page 7, 1933Norwegian Folk Tales, Illustrated Page 7, 1933

Gerhard Munthe - Fairy-tale Room in the hotel at Holmenkollen, (photo 5) 1901Fairy-tale Room in the hotel at Holmenkollen, (photo 1) 1901

Gerhard Munthe - Fairy-tale Room in the hotel at Holmenkollen, (photo 2) 1901-05Fairy-tale Room in the hotel at Holmenkollen, (photo 2) 1901-05

Gerhard Munthe - Fairy-tale Room in the hotel at Holmenkollen, (photo 4) 1901-05Fairy-tale Room in the hotel at Holmenkollen, (photo 3) 1901-05

Gerhard Munthe - Fairy-tale Room in the hotel at Holmenkollen, (photo 3) 1901-05Fairy-tale Room in the hotel at Holmenkollen, (photo 4) 1901-05

Gerhard Munthe - Fairy-tale Room in the hotel at Holmenkollen, (photo 1) 1901-05Fairy-tale Room in the hotel at Holmenkollen, (photo 5) 1901-05

Exterior view of the hotel at Holmenkollen, 1901Exterior view of the hotel at Holmenkollen, 1901

 "In the Fairy-tale Room in the hotel at Holmenkollen, near Oslo, Munthe's carved wooden wall panels and doorframes with monster-like trolls combined with his furniture and textiles to make a Gesamtkunstwerk" - quote source
Gerhard Munthe - Wall of Artworks
"Gerhard Peter Frantz Munthe (19 July 1849, Elverum, Hedmark – 15 January 1929) was a Norwegian painter and illustrator.

When Munthe moved to Christiania in 1863, his intention was to study medicine like his father, but his father advised him to take up the arts. He studied under Johan Fredrik Eckersberg in 1870, and continued under Morten Müller and Knud Bergslien until 1874. Between 1874 and 1876 he studied under Andreas Achenbach and his third cousin Ludvig Munthe in Düsseldorf. From 1877 to 1882 he lived in Munich most of the time. However, many of his motifs were taken from Norway. At this time he painted in the naturalist style. He is represented with several works in the National Gallery of Norway. Internationally he took part at the Exposition Universelle of 1900, the Louisiana Purchase Exposition of 1904 and elsewhere.

From the 1890s he experimented with decorative art in the Arts and Crafts style. From 1896 to 1899 he was occupied with illustrating the works of Snorri Sturluson, together with Erik Werenskiold, whom he had met in Munich. Some of his works were woven into large tapestries. He also created monumental decorations, some of which have been lost, as was his house at Lysaker which was consumed by fire in 1982." - quote source

"Munthe himself said that the inspiration for the socalled Fairytale Moods came from three sources: old, Norwegian patterns and woven textiles, a child-like imagination, and the ancient stories that came before folktales; “ A fine time, when Trolls were never stupid in a good-hearted way they were cunning Jotuns in a time where all was blood and iron and far more terrible” - Dagens Nyheter, 17.1.1894" - quotation taken from pdf article on the artist titled "The Fairytaleworld of Gerhard Munthe"


Images found at Wikimedia Commons, Digital Museum and the 19th Century Architectural Photography Collection.

The National Library of Norway has a fantastic selection of fully scanned sketchbooks, notebooks and a few illustrated books by Munthe in their collection here.  Some recommended examples include sketchbook 1, sketchbook 2, sketchbook 3, illustrated book 1, illustrated book 2.

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