"Odin riding Slepner", 1899. The National museum in Oslo shows this summer the largest presentation of the norwegian designer and painter Gerhard Munthe in 100 years. May 28, 2018 12:56 BST Invitation to a press viewing of “Gerhard Munthe. Enchanted Design” in the National Gallery ” Time: Wednesday, 6 June, 11:00 a.m., the National Gallery This summer, the National Gallery’s entire ground floor will be used to showcase over 230 works of design and decorative art by Gerhard Munthe (1849–1929), the largest such presentation in over a hundred years. Munthe was one of Europe’s foremost Art Nouveau artists around 1900, and his Viking-inspired imagery and vibrant colours resonate today as well. To attend, please notify Media and Press Manager Elise Lund (
[email protected]). Inspired by Norwegian sagas and folk art. AlthoughGerhard Munthe (1849–1929) was known as a landscape painter, his most original and significant contributions were in the fields of design and decorative art. Inspired by ancient history, Norwegian folk art, Japanese art, and Art Nouveau, Munthe became one of the first Norwegian industrial designers during the late nineteenth century. He sought to create good Norwegian alternatives to the large amount of foreign imports, with his first patterns for rugs, tapestries, porcelain, and graphic design stemming from 1891–93. He subsequently expanded his repertoire to include furniture, silverware, bookbinding, illustrations, typefaces, and decorations of entire rooms. With his Fairy Tale Room for the Holmenkollen Turisthotell in Oslo and his work on restoring the medieval Haakon’s Hall in Bergen, Munthe realized his vision of combining various forms of art in a Gesamtkunstwerk.