Frits Thaulow
Born	Oct. 20, 1847, Christiania, Norway
Died	Nov. 5, 1906 Volendam, Norway
Nationality	Norwegian
Education	Academy of Art in Copenhagen
Movement	Impressionism
Field	Painting
Works	View Complete Works

Norwegian artist Frits Thaulow originally aspired to become a marine painter. Born in Oslo in 1847, his father was a well-to-do chemist. Thaulow spent time studying with marine expert C.F. Sorensen. He attended classes at the Copenhagen Academy of Art from 1870-72. He also was tutored for two winters by Hans Gude, one of Norway’s premier landscape artists, at Karlsruhe, Germany. He lived in Paris for a four year stint beginning in 1875. He spent part of 1879 in Denmark acquiring knowledge from Scandinavian painters before returning home. With his return to Norway in 1880, Mr. Thaulow was already recognized as a leader of Norway’s art community.

Art Style

The period of 1880 to 1892, coinciding with Thaulow’s return to Norway, was also a pivotal time period for Norwegian art. During these years, the Realist art form became accepted in his homeland. Much of this was based on French models that emulated what he had learned during his year’s living in Paris. This allowed Mr. Thaulow to combine his very personal impressions of Norway’s scenery to create a new form of the Impressionist landscape. His interpretations of the public gardens and surrounding areas of Oslo were widely extolled. One of his favorite subjects was that of skiers on Oslo’s winter slopes. Many of his creations depict Asgardstrand, a town 100 kilometers south of Oslo. His works utilizing oils and pastels in the 1890’s contributed to the poetic nature of that time period’s frame of mind.

Later Life

Mr. Thaulow relocated to France in 1892 where he produced approximately 50 paintings per year while residing there. Many of these paintings were displayed at Galeries Georges Petit and Cie in Paris. He befriended the likes of Rodin and Monet. After his passing in 1906, his studio belongings were auctioned off a year later in Paris.