Gerhard Munthe (1849 - 1929)

In the Giant's Lair, 1892


The Door in the Rock, 1895


The Gate of the Princess, 1894


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


The First Hall, 1902-04


The Second Hall, 1902-04


The Third hall, 1902-04


The Fourth Hall, 1902-04


The Fifth Hall, 1902-04


Asmund bringing Home Silver and Gold, 1902-04


Asmund in the King's Hall, 1902-04


Asmund and the Princess Riding Home, 1902-04


Asmund and Brothers at Sea, 1902


Helhesten, 1892


The Bergtagne, From folk song about Liti Kjersti, 1928


Mørkredd, 1892


Tapestry, 1906

Saga, 1926


Billy Goats Gruff, 1908


Til Snorre Sturlason, Kongesagaer, Kristiania 1899


Til Snorre Sturlason, Kongesagaer, Kristiania, 1899


Title Decoration, Harald Hardrades Saga, 1899


Kong Jørund's Death, 1899


Odin øver seid, 1899

Sottedøden, 1899

The Final Vignette, Yngling Saga, 1899

Glælognskvida, 1895-99

Norwegian Folk Tales, Illustrated Page 1, 1933

Norwegian Folk Tales, Illustrated Page 2, 1933

Norwegian Folk Tales, Illustrated Page 3, 1933

Norwegian Folk Tales, Illustrated Page 4, 1933

Norwegian Folk Tales, Illustrated Page 5, 1933

Norwegian Folk Tales, Illustrated Page 6, 1933

Norwegian Folk Tales, Illustrated Page 7, 1933

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

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

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

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

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

Exterior 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 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.