Jan Petter Bratsberg
Jan Petter Bratsberg (1948 to 2026) was a Norwegian painter from Skien, particularly associated with Nordic woodland landscapes, animals and birds. He studied at the Norwegian National College of Art and Design in Oslo from 1969 to 1973. He died on 22 May 2026.
Romantic nature painting and conservation
Bratsberg described himself as a nature romantic, concerned with experiencing nature and protecting it. Skiens Kunstforening's presentation of Jorden vi arvet in 2019 highlights forests, Nordic predators and large birds of prey, alongside pictures of human intervention in untouched nature. Nature was consequently more than a decorative background for an animal.
Galleri Amare describes the contrast between old-growth forest and industrial logging in his imagery. His CV records exhibitions from Telemark to Sweden and the USA, including American solo exhibitions in 1982. His local roots and Nordic subject matter thus reached an international audience.
Documented works and books
Fossestryk is documented as an oil painting in Naturvernforbundet's magazine Natur & miljø in 2005, in connection with Natur og Kultur in Vestfossen. The source supports the title and medium, but supplies neither a production date nor an edition size.
His books include Tett på naturen (1998), Kunstnernatur (2002), Skjulte skatter (2011) and Jorden vi arvet (2019). The last, subtitled naturen, mennesket og mysteriet, takes a personal, autobiographical approach. Its presentation describes his childhood and youth up to age 25, considering nature, people and spiritual questions.
Galleri Nyhuus' November 2026 exhibition presentation mentions Fiskeørn and an important case of shared authorship: Marsmorgen remained unfinished when Bratsberg died. According to the presentation, Anne-Grethe Bratsberg asked his pupil Jon Are Myhrer to complete it. Such documentation must accompany descriptions of the work's execution.
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