Kai Fjell
Kai Fjell (1907 to 1989) was a Norwegian painter, printmaker and stage designer, born in Skoger, now Drammen. Rural life and nature became important subjects. His training included Carl von Hanno's school, the Norwegian National College of Art and Design, and studies with Axel Revold at the academy.
A personal visual language
The German Expressionist exhibition of 1932 marked a turning point. His breakthrough followed at Kunstnernes Hus in 1937. Stavanger Art Museum emphasises connections with Surrealism and folk art, in imagery encompassing women, children, animals and fiddlers.
The collection includes Enken (1942). The museum also publishes Hafsten's archival material concerning acquisitions directly from the artist.
Documented major works
Kalven reiser seg (1936), oil on canvas, 150 × 311 cm, belongs to the National Museum. It was purchased at the 1937 breakthrough exhibition. The museum interprets its women, animals and nature as a modern allegory of life's stages, possibly rooted in Fjell's rural childhood. This interpretation does not assign an unequivocal meaning to every symbol.
The museum's Likkjøreren, also dated 1936, is oil on canvas, 135 × 123 cm. Its collection also includes Familien, oil on canvas, 60.5 × 70.5 cm, with the catalogue date “(1962)”. Title, material, size and dating qualifications must accompany the individual work.
Printmaking and art in public spaces
Kunst på Arbeidsplassen's text on watercolours and prints follows his development through 1987. It describes a move towards lighter images of women in the 1970s and 1980s and names the lithographs Søstrene and Den blå krukke. Familiarity with a subject nevertheless cannot establish that every example belongs to the same print or edition.
His practice extended beyond easel painting. Bærum municipality documents the mural made with Snorre Andersen in Fornebu airport's former departure hall, giving the year 1967. The collaborator and architectural setting are essential information for such monumental works.
Identification and assessment
Distinguish painting and watercolour from original prints and later reproductions. Examine the support, dimensions, surface, paper edges and any publisher information. For lithographs, document edition size, numbering and signing for the particular subject and edition. A signed sheet alone establishes neither technique nor authenticity. For paintings, inscriptions on the reverse, labels, ownership history, overpainting and earlier restoration matter. An artist's biography or a similar subject does not authenticate an object.
Read more about lithography, artist signatures, provenance and ownership history.
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