The Blue Kitchen
Encyclopedia
The Blue Kitchen is the title of a neo-impressionist
painting
by Norwegian
artist Ludvig Karsten
, showing a kitchen table ready for breakfast, while the morning sun is shining through the window.
The blue Kitchen is regarded among Karsten's most important paintings. It is located at the National Gallery
in Oslo
.
In 1913 Karsten was newly married, and the couple moved from Copenhagen
to the Norwegian island Hvasser
. Sources differ whether Blue Kitchen is painted in Copenhagen or Hvasser. The painting was bought by art collector Christian Tetzen-Lund in 1913. In his notebook he called it Det blaa Vindue, and he had paid a price of . The blue Kitchen was first publicly exhibited at The Autumn Exhibition
in Kristiania in 1913, and also at an exhibition in Copenhagen later the same year. The National Gallery acquired the painting after offering a price of .
in Copenhagen. At the 1913 Autumn Exhibition in Kristiania Karsten also exhibited another still
painting, The red Kitchen, which has later (in 1926) been acquired by the National Gallery in Oslo. Karsten's painting Atelierinteriør (Studio interior) from 1926 (lost in a fire during World War II) had The blue Kitchen hanging on the painted wall.
Neo-impressionism
Neo-impressionism was coined by French art critic Félix Fénéon in 1886 to describe an art movement founded by Georges Seurat. Seurat’s greatest masterpiece, A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte, marked the beginning of this movement when it first made its appearance at an exhibition...
painting
Painting
Painting is the practice of applying paint, pigment, color or other medium to a surface . The application of the medium is commonly applied to the base with a brush but other objects can be used. In art, the term painting describes both the act and the result of the action. However, painting is...
by Norwegian
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
artist Ludvig Karsten
Ludvig Karsten
Ludvig Karsten was a Norwegian painter. He was a neo-impressionist influenced by Edvard Munch, Henri Matisse and the contemporary French painting. He first participated at the Autumn exhibition in Kristiania in 1901, and had his first separate exhibition in 1904...
, showing a kitchen table ready for breakfast, while the morning sun is shining through the window.
The blue Kitchen is regarded among Karsten's most important paintings. It is located at the National Gallery
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:...
in Oslo
Oslo
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 1913 Karsten was newly married, and the couple moved from Copenhagen
Copenhagen
Copenhagen is the capital and largest city of Denmark, with an urban population of 1,199,224 and a metropolitan population of 1,930,260 . With the completion of the transnational Øresund Bridge in 2000, Copenhagen has become the centre of the increasingly integrating Øresund Region...
to the Norwegian island Hvasser
Hvasser
Hvasser is a populated island and a village in Tjøme municipality, Norway, connected to mainland and the city of Tønsberg via the islands Brøtsø, Tjøme and Nøtterøy. The name comes from the Norwegian word "hvass", meaning sharp, which is owed to sharp cliffs on the island.Hvasser is also the pilot...
. Sources differ whether Blue Kitchen is painted in Copenhagen or Hvasser. The painting was bought by art collector Christian Tetzen-Lund in 1913. In his notebook he called it Det blaa Vindue, and he had paid a price of . The blue Kitchen was first publicly exhibited at The Autumn Exhibition
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...
in Kristiania in 1913, and also at an exhibition in Copenhagen later the same year. The National Gallery acquired the painting after offering a price of .
Related works
An earlier rejected study by Karsten, Oppstilling ved vindu is located on the back side of his painting Pløyemark from 1909. Karsten's painting From my blue Kitchen from 1913, where his wife Misse is modelled standing in their kitchen, was exhibited in Kristiania from March to April 1913, and is currently located at Statens Museum for KunstStatens Museum for Kunst
Statens Museum for Kunst is the Danish national gallery located in Copenhagen....
in Copenhagen. At the 1913 Autumn Exhibition in Kristiania Karsten also exhibited another still
Still life
A still life is a work of art depicting mostly inanimate subject matter, typically commonplace objects which may be either natural or man-made...
painting, The red Kitchen, which has later (in 1926) been acquired by the National Gallery in Oslo. Karsten's painting Atelierinteriør (Studio interior) from 1926 (lost in a fire during World War II) had The blue Kitchen hanging on the painted wall.