Hans Heyerdahl
Hans Heyerdahl (1857 to 1913) was a Norwegian painter born in Smedjebacken, Sweden, and raised in Drammen. His birthplace should therefore not be confused with his Norwegian identity. His work encompasses portraits, figure painting and landscapes, developing from academic training towards brighter naturalism and an independent use of colour.
Munich, Paris and a change in painting
He studied at the Drawing School in Christiania, then in Munich and with Léon Bonnat in Paris. Kunstnernes Hus documents how his Paris years encompassed large realist compositions as well as portraits and figure studies. His work cannot therefore be reduced to one major breakthrough picture.
Around 1880, French plein-air painting gained importance. Brighter colours and freer brushwork joined the dark, controlled academic approach. He later also painted landscapes and portraits in Norway, including Åsgårdstrand. His development encompassed both close observation of nature and more atmospheric expression.
Ved vinduet: panel, light and portrait
Ved vinduet of 1881 in the National Museum is oil on panel, 46 × 37 cm. The bright exterior meets the dark blue figure indoors. The museum connects it with French painting and freer brushwork. Family tradition identifies the sitter as his first wife, Maren Christine Heyerdahl.
Several versions of Det døende barn
The Van Gogh Museum's research catalogue documents several versions of Heyerdahl's Det døende barn. The large composition appeared at the Paris Salon in 1882. The subject's history is therefore not identical to that of every painting bearing its title.
The National Museum's version NG.M.03346 dates from 1881 and is oil on canvas, 59.5 × 70 cm. The smaller NG.M.00349 is dated probably 1889 and measures 24.5 × 25.5 cm. The museum bought the smaller version from the artist in 1889. That provenance belongs to this picture. A new claim concerning another example requires independent investigation.
Versions of one composition are not the same as a numbered print edition. Dimensions, compositional differences, support, paint and ownership history require recording for each object. A photographic print of one version is a reproduction.
Landscapes and work after earlier masters
Den gamle mølle of 1884 demonstrates landscape painting as a distinct part of his output. The National Museum's work is oil on canvas, 72.5 × 91.5 cm. It entered the collection as a gift from Olaf Schou in 1909. Creation date and date of acquisition are different facts.
Heyerdahl also painted after earlier masters. The museum's Baldassare Castiglione, kopi etter Rafael is oil on canvas, probably from 1878 to 1879. The painter who made the copy must be distinguished from the creator of its model. A documented hand-painted copy by Heyerdahl differs from a work by Raphael or a later printed reproduction.
A particular work needs individual investigation
Record title variants, technique, support, dimensions, signatures, inscriptions and older labels. A sketch, a developed variant and a copy after another work require description according to their documented function. A familiar subject does not establish print edition size or hand signing.
For paintings, consider retouching, overpainting, lining, cracks and altered stretching. For panels, investigate the support itself as well. Preserve receipts, exhibition records and previous ownership history. Biography, a similar subject or a similar-looking signature alone does not authenticate an object.
Read more about artist signatures, provenance and ownership history.
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