Traditional Norwegian painting Rosemaling is an amazing art of painting on wood. Accurate translation into English – rosepainting, quite common on the Internet translation of “drawing with a rose” the word indicates a process. This ancient art emerged in the 18th century, gained popularity in the first half of the 19th century, and is still very popular in Norway and abroad. As Norway always features a variety of dialects and variability of the same style, each locality had its own rosemaling. The best known were “rose painting” from Telemark and Hallingdal.

If art forging and wood carving was native to Norway, the “rusemaling” is quite young kind of arts and crafts. The forms of art and technology show the influence of the Renaissance and Baroque. Later in the ornaments and paintings became visible elements in the form of the Latin «C» and «S» – «echoes of” Rococo.

Not regulated by strict canons, in Telemark ornament the picture fills the entire surface of different shapes. Halling rose painters worked more thoroughly and used a fine brush. In Vestlanne the drawings are not dominated by rose, but also Acanthus flower. It’s amazing: Acanthus found in painting and embroidery of peoples of the world, grew only in Italy (now it is grown around the world).

The colors were originally bright and vivid, but again, the artists in various fields used their combinations. In Vestlanne preferred gold, red, black and white, and in Telemark – the most diverse. Technique was the same everywhere. First, the decorated object was carefully sanded, cleaned and covered with two layers of primer.

Painting began after the substrate had been dried up. In Telemark, for example, before the immediate rose painting the surface had been processed with hot (as it is written in Norwegian source) Linseed oil.

Often with one brush were taken two colors at the same time, which made it possible to make a double loop. The variety of colors, the complexity and accuracy of conducting smear, clear drawing resemble Ukrainian Petrykivka painting. The rosemaling often gives the impression of complete improvisation, and art historians write that, as a rule, in detail, artists did not think through the entire composition before they started.

Traditional Norwegian painting Rosemaling

Artists interpreted what they had seen in the “official” art in their own view, and reproduced it on the wood in their own way of painting. Unusually but nice enough rosemaling looks in the dark old houses, because darkened from time walls were painted in bright colors. Painted were not only walls, but also furniture, ceiling – in short, the whole house.

Churches did not escape the attention of rosemaling artists – they also have these paintings, however, they are subject to strict canons of the Church. The first samples of the painting were quite rude and careless, but gradually masters gained experience and honed the art – everything as it is today. Paintings from different regions differ much.

Meanwhile, people use Rosemaling in our days in the most unexpected ways (pictures in the gallery).

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