Harald Kihle
Harald Kihle (1905-1997) was a Norwegian painter and printmaker from Borre near Horten. Telemark's landscapes, working life and stories were major subjects. Horses recur in both paintings and prints. He died in Oslo.
Training and connections to Telemark
Kihle qualified as a painter-decorator before studying fine art in Oslo at the National College of Art and Design and the National Academy of Fine Arts. Henrik Sørensen became a close friend and artistic companion. After the war, Kihle worked extensively in Smørklepp, Vinje, and also lived in Oslo's Ekely artists' colony.
His rural subjects centre on work and repeated activities: horses, farmers, forestry and agriculture. Storegut and Guro Heddelid, figures from local legends, also feature prominently. Paintings often use a restricted brown, grey and green palette. Strong light contours and visible wood grain characterise his woodcuts.
Subjects cross between painting, woodcut and lithography. He illustrated Vinje's Storegut (1951) with Henrik Sørensen, and Jørund Telnes' Guro Heddelid (1972). Works are held by Smørklepp kunstmuseum, formerly Vinje Biletgalleri.
Works in the National Museum
- Guro rid til ottesong: oil on canvas, 65.5 x 81 cm. The museum records that it was begun in 1957 and completed in 1960.
- Første forsøk: woodcut on paper, 359 x 269 mm; plate and impression both dated 1938. This example is recorded as 1/1 and was donated by the artist in 1981.
- Pont Neuf (1945): recorded as a tonal woodcut on paper, 156 x 119 mm.
These records show why identification must remain specific to the object. One early woodcut recorded as 1/1 does not make every Kihle print unique. When a subject also appears in a book, distinguish a separate original print from a removed book page or a later reproduction.
Signatures, archives and condition
Grev Wedels Plass Auksjoner records the painting Lauving (1941) with “H Kihle” and a date on the front, plus signature and title on the panel reverse. This documents one example, not a universal signature template.
Harald Kihle kunstmuseum in Horten holds art and archives including letters, diaries, sketches and preparatory studies. The museum reports that systematic review and digitisation began in 2024. Such archives can assist research into titles, subject variants and exhibition histories.
Document a Kihle work's entire front, reverse and inscriptions. Distinguish wood grain in prints from wear and paper loss, and note discolouration, tears and mounting traces. Describe painting damage and old repairs separately. Claims connecting a subject to a local place should rest on documents, rather than landscape resemblance alone.
Read more about artist signatures, provenance and ownership history, woodcuts.
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Contact OBA about selling and assessment (Norwegian page).
Sources
- Norsk kunstnerleksikon: subjects, painting and prints
- Norsk biografisk leksikon: training, Telemark and Ekely
- Store norske leksikon: illustrations and Smørklepp
- National Museum: Guro rid til ottesong
- National Museum: Første forsøk
- National Museum: Pont Neuf
- Grev Wedels Plass Auksjoner: signature and reverse
- Harald Kihle kunstmuseum: collection and archives
- National Museum: artist record
