Nikolai Astrup (1880-1928) is one of Norway\u2019s most renowned and beloved artists. He is known for his work both as a graphic artist and as a painter, but is most famous for his characteristic depictions of the lush, wild landscapes and traditional way of life of Western Norway. Nikolai Astrup was born in Bremanger, Nordfjord but his family soon moved to \u00c5lhus in J\u00f8lster, where his father overtook the position as local priest. As an artist and a bohemian, Astrup stood out in the small and conventional village that he grew up in. He nevertheless remained in J\u00f8lster for most of his life, and it was here that he found the motifs for nearly all of his paintings.<\/p>\n
May Moon<\/i> is a motif that Astrup has devoted a great deal of attention to, both in paintings and woodcuts, and repeated in a number of different versions, in which he concentrates on the shifts in light and atmosphere. Depicted here is the artist\u2019s childhood home on a late spring night with the Vicarage garden, the lake J\u00f8lstervannet and the characteristic mountains in the background. The full moon is at its zenith in the sky and is reflected in the lake, while a man and a woman crawl on their hands and knees in the vegetable garden working the earth. Although J\u00f8lster farmers may have worked in their fields on a late spring night as depicted in Astrup\u2019s May Moon<\/i>, his presentation of the motif is not realistic. He transforms the observed reality into a universal experience; the farmers\u2019 daily toil, their simple modest everyday lives are transformed into hallowed acts. <\/p>\n
OWG<\/p>\n
This picture is included in the exhibition The Summer of Dreams<\/i>, Blaafarvev\u00e6rket May 23-September 20, 2009.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":3666,"template":"","meta":{"teft_cards_image_id":0,"teft_cards_image_focal_point_x":0,"teft_cards_image_focal_point_y":0,"teft_cards_title":"","teft_cards_excerpt":"","by_artist":"astrup-nikolai","artwork_year":null,"artwork_size":"19,1x25,3cm","artwork_technique":"Colour woodcut with hand-colouring","artwork_date_text":null,"artwork_comment":null},"placement":[96],"artwork_medium":[109],"yoast_head":"\n