The painting “Winter Night in Rondane”, also known as “Winter Night in the Mountains”, by the artist Harald Sohlberg, is one of the most famous works of art in Norwegian history.
The main work hangs at the National Museum in Oslo. In addition, there are versions with lithograph and watercolor (painted on paper). A version of the latter was auctioned off on Wednesday.
Cecilie Malm Brundtland is an art historian at the auction agency Sotheby’s, which was behind the auction. She talks about a dramatic bidding round.
– The same day that the auction was to close, a bid of 750,000 pounds came. It is common for bids to come at the end of auctions because people are watching. The last hour increased the speed in the bidding round, Brundtland says to Dagbladet, and continues:
– It was incredibly exciting. It was only three seconds before it closed when new bidders came on board. Then the deadline is extended by one minute. It was very exciting to see that it almost ended, and that there were still new bids, Brundtland says to Dagbladet.
In the last hour alone, the price rose by three million kroner. The motif was eventually sold for NOK 16.1 million. It is a new record for a work on paper by the artist Harald Sohlberg.
The buyer behind the image is European, but remains anonymous.
– It is very fun to set a record. Such a picture will always be very popular among Norwegian buyers, but that it also has international interest is extra fun, says Brundtland.
MOVED: The exhibition «Harald Sohlberg. Infinite landscapes », was the last exhibition when the National Gallery closed its doors for good in 2019. The art collection will be moved to the new National Museum which opens in 2022. Photo: Heiko Junge / NTB
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Named “Norway’s national painting”
“Winter night in Rondane” took a full 15 years to make. The artist Harald Sohlberg discovered the motif on an Easter ski trip. Many sketches were prepared before the picture became as we know it today. The first sketch was painted as early as 1899, and the painting was completed in 1914.
Brundtland says Sohlberg lived in Rondane for several years while he tried to paint the motif.
– For him, this became the big test of it and succeed, and get to the most important motive throughout his career.
The same year, the painting was shown for the first time during the anniversary exhibition of the Constitution in 1914. The following year, the picture was bought by JB Stang, who in 1918 passed it on to the National Gallery.
In 1995, the picture was named “Norway’s national painting” by NRK’s listeners. Today, there are several versions of the picture, the largest of which hangs at the National Museum in Oslo.
Can be sold for shock sum
Recognizable
Brundtland believes the painting is a motif that most Norwegians have a relationship with.
– I think the recognition in nature makes Norwegians very happy in the picture. It is painted as if you are standing during a winter night, and see this lone star shining down the mountains. Then a tiny cross is painted at the top of one of the mountain massifs, which makes it both romantic, symbolic and beautiful.
She also says that the watercolor that was sold during the auction has great features in common with the painting in the National Museum.
– It is an absolutely fantastic version, and which is close to the oil painting that is in the National Museum, Brundtland concludes.
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