Frits Thaulow
Frits Thaulow: water, winter and the modern landscape
Frits Thaulow (1847 to 1906), also known as Johan Fredrik Thaulow, was a Norwegian painter and printmaker. Born in Kristiania, he died in Volendam in the Netherlands. His work connects Norwegian winter landscapes and urban scenes with an extensive international practice.
From marine painting to painting outdoors
Thaulow trained as a marine painter in Copenhagen and continued under Hans Gude in Karlsruhe. Encountering French outdoor painting opened new approaches to colour, light and atmosphere. Kode’s introduction shows how he moved between coast, town and countryside. Naturalism and Impressionist impulses met in work that also depicted a world shaped by industry and new lines of communication.
He painted more than views identifiable on a map. Snow, ice, currents and reflections became essential elements of painting itself. After moving to France in 1892, he continued travelling and finding subjects in several countries. His river landscapes show how recognisable surroundings could be transformed through light, colour and movement.
Three documented paintings
Street in Kragerø (Gate i Kragerø) of 1882 is oil on canvas, 58 cm high and 79 cm wide. The National Museum’s record states that it was purchased that year. This town scene provides a specific reference for his Norwegian work and must be distinguished from other Kragerø subjects and later reproductions.
Winter at the River Simoa (Vinter ved Simoa) of 1883 is catalogued as oil on canvas, 49.5 × 78.5 cm. The museum purchased the painting in 1933. That later year records its acquisition, not when Thaulow painted it. Nor should its technique be taken from another version or a general account.
Hiver en Norvège, or Winter in Norway, of 1886 in the Musée d’Orsay is also oil on canvas. The French state purchased it directly from the artist in 1889. The museum also records the inscription “Frits Thaulow 86”. Its documented ownership history shows how a Norwegian subject entered a French public collection.
Painting, prints and reproductions
Thaulow also worked in printmaking. Transatlantique in Stockholm’s Nationalmuseum is catalogued as an aquatint etching on paper. This documents a particular print, but does not justify calling every printed river scene a lithograph or assuming a single process throughout his production. The inventory number NMG 112/1907 is not itself a production date.
When buying or selling, distinguish an original print impression from a photomechanical reproduction of a painting. Record plate or image dimensions, sheet dimensions, signatures, numbering and any printer’s or publisher’s marks. A printed signature is not automatically handwritten. Edition size, printing date and the identity of the signatory require investigation for the particular edition.
For paintings, the support, reverse, surface and restoration matter; for works on paper, also fading, stains, tears and mounting. Preserve labels and documented provenance. A flowing-water subject or a similar signature alone does not establish Thaulow as the maker.
Read more about artist signatures, provenance and ownership history.
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