Gerhard Munthe (painter)
Encyclopedia
Gerhard Peter Frantz Munthe (19 July 1849, Elverum
, Hedmark
– 15 January 1929) was a Norwegian painter and illustrator.
to physician Christopher Pavels Munthe (1816–1884) and his wife Christine Margrethe Pavels Aabel (1827–1887). He was a brother of historian Hartvig Andreas Munthe
, writer Margrethe Munthe
and military officer Carl Oscar Munthe
. He was also a nephew of historian and cartographer Gerhard Munthe and an uncle of genealogist Christopher Morgenstierne Munthe
, librarian Wilhelm Munthe
and painter Lagertha Munthe
. Through his mother he was a nephew of Andreas Leigh Aabel
and Oluf Andreas Aabel
, and a first cousin of Hauk Aabel
.
was his stepfather-in-law. Munthe and Sandberg settled in Sandvika
and later Lysaker
. Also, Munthe had a studio at Ringstabekk
for a short period. The couple divorced in 1919, the same year she married Fridtjof Nansen
.Munthe was a prolific letter writer, and also published several articles, some of which were collected and published in 1919 as Minder og meninger.
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.
Munthe was a member of the selection committee at Høstutstillingen
from its start in 1882 to 1890. He was a member of the board of the National Gallery of Norway from 1892 to 1905 and Den norske Husflidsforening from 1897 to his death, and chair
of the National Gallery from 1905 to 1907. He was made a Commander of the Royal Norwegian Order of St. Olav and a Knight of the Danish Order of the Dannebrog
and the Swedish Order of the Polar Star
. He died in Bærum, but was buried in Elverum.
Elverum
is a town and municipality in Hedmark county, Norway. It is part of the traditional region of Østerdalen. The administrative centre of the municipality is the town of Elverum...
, Hedmark
Hedmark
is a county in Norway, bordering Sør-Trøndelag, Oppland and Akershus. The county administration is in Hamar.Hedmark makes up the northeastern part of Østlandet, the southeastern part of the country. It includes a long part of the borderline with Sweden, Dalarna County and Värmland County. The...
– 15 January 1929) was a Norwegian painter and illustrator.
Background
Munthe was born in ElverumElverum
is a town and municipality in Hedmark county, Norway. It is part of the traditional region of Østerdalen. The administrative centre of the municipality is the town of Elverum...
to physician Christopher Pavels Munthe (1816–1884) and his wife Christine Margrethe Pavels Aabel (1827–1887). He was a brother of historian Hartvig Andreas Munthe
Hartvig Andreas Munthe
Hartvig Andreas Munthe was a Norwegian military officer, engineer and genealogist.-Personal life:He was born in Elverum as a son of physician Christopher Pavels Munthe . He was an older brother of painter Gerhard Munthe, writer Margrethe Munthe and historian and military officer Carl Oscar Munthe...
, writer Margrethe Munthe
Margrethe Munthe
Margrethe Aabel Munthe was a Norwegian teacher, children's writer, songwriter and playwright.-Personal life:Margrethe Munthe was born in Elverum as the daughter of physician Christopher Pavels Munthe and Christine Margrethe Pavels Aabel...
and military officer Carl Oscar Munthe
Carl Oscar Munthe
-Personal life:He was born in Elverum as a son of physician Christopher Pavels Munthe . He was a younger brother of historian and military officer Hartvig Andreas Munthe, painter Gerhard Munthe and writer Margrethe Munthe...
. He was also a nephew of historian and cartographer Gerhard Munthe and an uncle of genealogist Christopher Morgenstierne Munthe
Christopher Morgenstierne Munthe
Christopher Morgenstierne Munthe was a Norwegian genealogist.He was a son of Colonel and historian Hartvig Andreas Munthe...
, librarian Wilhelm Munthe
Wilhelm Munthe
Abraham Wilhelm Støren Munthe was a Norwegian librarian. He worked at the University Library of Oslo from 1903 to 1953.-Personal life:...
and painter Lagertha Munthe
Lagertha Munthe
Lagertha Munthe was a Norwegian painter.She was born in Kristiania as a daughter of Olaf Andreas Jens Wilhelm Munthe...
. Through his mother he was a nephew of Andreas Leigh Aabel
Andreas Leigh Aabel
Morten Andreas Leigh Aabel was a Norwegian physician and poet.He was born in Sogndal as the son of priest Peter Pavels Aabel. He was a brother of Oluf Andreas Aabel. He enrolled as a student in 1848, graduated with the cand.med. degree in 1856. Whilwe studying he was a member of the Literary...
and Oluf Andreas Aabel
Oluf Andreas Aabel
Oluf Andreas Aabel was a Norwegian priest and writer.He was born in Sogndal as the son of priest Peter Pavels Aabel. He was a brother of Morten Andreas Leigh Aabel, and an uncle of Hauk Aabel....
, and a first cousin of Hauk Aabel
Hauk Aabel
Hauk Erlendssøn Aabel was a popular Norwegian comedian and actor in Norwegian and Swedish silent film.-Career:...
.
Personal life
In December 1886 he married Sigrun Sandberg (1869–1957). Between 1886 and 1890 Bjørn BjørnsonBjørn Bjørnson
Bjørn Bjørnson was a Norwegian stage actor and theatre director.-Biography:He was born in Kristiania, the son of author Bjørnstjerne Bjørnson and his wife Karoline Bjørnson. In 1876, he was admitted as a student at the Stern Conservatory operated by Julius Stern in Berlin, Germany...
was his stepfather-in-law. Munthe and Sandberg settled in Sandvika
Sandvika
is the administrative centre of the municipality of Bærum in Norway. It was declared a city by the municipal council in Bærum on 4 June 2003.Sandvika is situated approximately west of Oslo. It is the main transportation hub for Western Bærum, and has a combined bus and railway station. Sandvika is...
and later Lysaker
Lysaker
Lysaker is a section of and a postal code area of the Norwegian municipality of Bærum, just west of Oslo.Geographically, it is bordered by Lysakerelven on the east, which also forms the border to Oslo; Fornebu to the south; Stabekk to the west; and Jar to the north...
. Also, Munthe had a studio at Ringstabekk
Ringstabekk
Ringstabekk is a district in Bærum, Norway. Named after the local farm, the district is also known for its schools and the sports field. The sports club Stabæk IF originates in the area.-The farm:...
for a short period. The couple divorced in 1919, the same year she married Fridtjof Nansen
Fridtjof Nansen
Fridtjof Wedel-Jarlsberg Nansen was a Norwegian explorer, scientist, diplomat, humanitarian and Nobel Peace Prize laureate. In his youth a champion skier and ice skater, he led the team that made the first crossing of the Greenland interior in 1888, and won international fame after reaching a...
.Munthe was a prolific letter writer, and also published several articles, some of which were collected and published in 1919 as Minder og meninger.
Career
When Munthe moved to ChristianiaOslo
Oslo is a municipality, as well as the capital and most populous city in Norway. As a municipality , it was established on 1 January 1838. Founded around 1048 by King Harald III of Norway, the city was largely destroyed by fire in 1624. The city was moved under the reign of Denmark–Norway's King...
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
Johan Fredrik Eckersberg
Johan Fredrik Eckersberg was a Norwegian painter most noted for his landscapes. Eckersberg was a prominent figure in the transition from Romanticism to Realism in 18th century Norwegian art, both as an artistic painter and a teacher at his own art school in Oslo.-Background:Johan Fredrik...
in 1870, and continued under Morten Müller
Morten Müller
Morten Müller was a Norwegian landscape painter.-Biography:Morten Müller was born by the Christianiafjord at Holmestrand, in Vestfold County, Norway. Morten Müller began his art studies with Adolph Tidemand and Hans Gude in Düsseldorf, Germany, from 1847 to 1848...
and Knud Bergslien
Knud Bergslien
Knud Larsen Bergslien was a Norwegian painter, art teacher and master artist. In his art, he frequently portrayed the lives of the Norwegian people, their history and heroes of the past...
until 1874. Between 1874 and 1876 he studied under Andreas Achenbach
Andreas Achenbach
Andreas Achenbach was a German landscape painter.Born at Kassel, he began his art education in 1827 in Düsseldorf under Friedrich Wilhelm Schadow at the Düsseldorf Academy of Painting. He studied at St Petersburg and travelled in Italy, Holland and Scandinavia...
and his third cousin Ludvig Munthe
Ludvig Munthe
Ludvig Munthe was a Norwegian-born German landscape painter.-Biography:He was born at Aaröen, near Sogndal. He was first instructed by Schiertz, a German painter and architect at Bergen, and then became a pupil of Albert Flamm at Düsseldorf, which he subsequently selected for his permanent...
in Düsseldorf
Düsseldorf
Düsseldorf is the capital city of the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia and centre of the Rhine-Ruhr metropolitan region.Düsseldorf is an important international business and financial centre and renowned for its fashion and trade fairs. Located centrally within the European Megalopolis, the...
. From 1877 to 1882 he lived in Munich
Munich
Munich The city's motto is "" . Before 2006, it was "Weltstadt mit Herz" . Its native name, , is derived from the Old High German Munichen, meaning "by the monks' place". The city's name derives from the monks of the Benedictine order who founded the city; hence the monk depicted on the city's coat...
most of the time. However, many of his motifs were taken from Norway. At this time he painted in the naturalist
Naturalism (art)
Naturalism in art refers to the depiction of realistic objects in a natural setting. The Realism movement of the 19th century advocated naturalism in reaction to the stylized and idealized depictions of subjects in Romanticism, but many painters have adopted a similar approach over the centuries...
style. He is represented with several works in the National Gallery of Norway
National Gallery of Norway
The National Gallery of Norway is a gallery in Oslo, Norway. Since 2003 it is administratively a part of the National Museum of Art, Architecture and Design.-History:...
. Internationally he took part at the Exposition Universelle of 1900
Exposition Universelle (1900)
The Exposition Universelle of 1900 was a world's fair held in Paris, France, from April 15 to November 12, 1900, to celebrate the achievements of the past century and to accelerate development into the next...
, the Louisiana Purchase Exposition of 1904
Louisiana Purchase Exposition
The Louisiana Purchase Exposition, informally known as the Saint Louis World's Fair, was an international exposition held in St. Louis, Missouri, United States in 1904.- Background :...
and elsewhere.
From the 1890s he experimented with decorative art
Decorative art
The decorative arts is traditionally a term for the design and manufacture of functional objects. It includes interior design, but not usually architecture. The decorative arts are often categorized in opposition to the "fine arts", namely, painting, drawing, photography, and large-scale...
in the Arts and Crafts
Arts and Crafts movement
Arts and Crafts was an international design philosophy that originated in England and flourished between 1860 and 1910 , continuing its influence until the 1930s...
style. From 1896 to 1899 he was occupied with illustrating the works of Snorri Sturluson
Snorri Sturluson
Snorri Sturluson was an Icelandic historian, poet, and politician. He was twice elected lawspeaker at the Icelandic parliament, the Althing...
, together with Erik Werenskiold
Erik Werenskiold
Erik Theodor Werenskiold was a Norwegian painter and illustrator. He is especially known for his drawings for the...
, whom he had met in Munich. Some of his works were woven
Weaving
Weaving is a method of fabric production in which two distinct sets of yarns or threads are interlaced at right angles to form a fabric or cloth. The other methods are knitting, lace making and felting. The longitudinal threads are called the warp and the lateral threads are the weft or filling...
into large tapestries
Tapestry
Tapestry is a form of textile art, traditionally woven on a vertical loom, however it can also be woven on a floor loom as well. It is composed of two sets of interlaced threads, those running parallel to the length and those parallel to the width ; the warp threads are set up under tension on a...
. He also created monumental decorations, some of which have been lost, as was his house at Lysaker which was consumed by fire in 1982.
Munthe was a member of the selection committee at Høstutstillingen
Høstutstillingen
Høstutstillingen or Statens kunstutstilling is an annual art exhibition in Oslo, Norway. The exhibition is Norway's largest marking of contemporary art and takes place each autumn. It is arranged by Norske Billedkunstnere . The exhibition is set up on the basis of free submission...
from its start in 1882 to 1890. He was a member of the board of the National Gallery of Norway from 1892 to 1905 and Den norske Husflidsforening from 1897 to his death, and chair
Chair (official)
The chairman is the highest officer of an organized group such as a board, committee, or deliberative assembly. The person holding the office is typically elected or appointed by the members of the group. The chairman presides over meetings of the assembled group and conducts its business in an...
of the National Gallery from 1905 to 1907. He was made a Commander of the Royal Norwegian Order of St. Olav and a Knight of the Danish Order of the Dannebrog
Order of the Dannebrog
The Order of the Dannebrog is an Order of Denmark, instituted in 1671 by Christian V. It resulted from a move in 1660 to break the absolutism of the nobility. The Order was only to comprise 50 noble Knights in one class plus the Master of the Order, i.e. the Danish monarch, and his sons...
and the Swedish Order of the Polar Star
Order of the Polar Star
The Order of the Polar Star is a Swedish order of chivalry created by King Frederick I of Sweden on 23 February 1748, together with the Order of the Sword and the Order of the Seraphim....
. He died in Bærum, but was buried in Elverum.