Chrix Dahl
Chrix Dahl (1906 to 1994), whose full name was Christian Axel Dahl, was a Norwegian draughtsman, printmaker and painter. Narrative figure scenes, landscapes and animals belong to a body of work in which line often carries character, movement and atmosphere. Book illustration is an important part of his practice, but is distinct from his independent prints.
From painting studies to printmaking
He attended Statens håndverks- og kunstindustriskole in 1924 and 1925 and Statens Kunstakademi from 1925 to 1927, taught by Axel Revold and Halfdan Strøm. He later joined Olaf Willums's etching class. He made his debut at Blomqvist in 1930.
With Willums he learned drypoint, line etching and aquatint. Norsk kunstnerleksikon stresses that his etchings and lithographs do not simply repeat his drawings. Each technique has its own expression. After the war, formats tended to grow and forms became freer, producing both dramatic and lyrical effects.
Book art and narrative line
Dahl's drawing style could include burlesque humour and drew on French and Danish draughtsmanship. He illustrated, among other works, Bjørnson's Tyrolersangen and Wergeland's Hasselnødder. As a longstanding senior teacher in the etching class at SHKS, until 1974, he also influenced new generations of printmakers.
The 1946 edition of Voltaire's Candide is a central book project. Norsk kunstnerleksikon states that the drawings were made in 1945. The drawings' creation date and the book's publication year are therefore different pieces of information. A page from the printed book should not be presented as the original drawing, even when the image is identical.
Paintings with their own catalogue records
På broen from 1932 is recorded by the National Museum as oil on canvas, 73.5 × 102.5 cm. It was purchased in 1990. This record concerns a painting. The title also occurs among Dahl's prints, so title and image alone do not establish technique or version.
Selvportrett from 1933 is also oil on canvas, 65 × 55 cm. The museum purchased it in 1996. The purchase year should not be confused with the year the painting was made. Dahl's later reputation principally as a draughtsman and printmaker does not turn a documented painting into a print.
Drawing and lithography
The National Museum's Edvard Munch på dødsleiet is dated 9 February 1944. It is pencil and watercolour on paper, 273 × 367 mm, donated by the artist in 1994. Its drawing technique, paper and actual date must be retained in the description. A later photographic reproduction is a different object.
Western Norway University of Applied Sciences records Utenfor Roms mure from 1975 as a lithograph on paper, 37 cm high and 50 cm wide, numbered 209/275. Purchased from Kunst i skolen, it belongs to a portfolio involving five printmakers and Norwegian literature. The numbering concerns this catalogued impression, not every print with a related motif.
Original prints, printed book pages and condition
Identification must distinguish independent prints, original drawings, paintings and reproductions. Examine the whole sheet, any plate mark, print structure, paper, inscriptions and documented publisher. Record sheet dimensions separately from image or printed area dimensions. A number or reproduced signature alone does not document an edition of original prints.
Describe stains, moisture damage, undulations, tears, fading and traces of adhesive or mounting. Note whether the sheet is trimmed or attached to the backing board. Older labels, receipts and catalogue records can support provenance. The name Chrix Dahl and resemblance to a known signature do not authenticate a particular item.
Read more about lithography, etching, artist signatures, provenance and ownership history, Olaf Willums.
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