Christian Skredsvig (Norwegian painterand writer) 1854 - 1924
Skt. Hans Aften i Norge (Midsummer Eve in Norway), 1886
aka St. John's Evening in Norway
oil on canvas
156.2 x 291.5 cm.
Statens Museum for Kunst, Copenhagen, Denmark
Christian Skredsvig is especially well known for his picturesque paintings.
He was born in Modum, Buskerud in 1854. When he was 15 years old he became a pupil at the Eckersberg drawing and paint school in Christiania (now Oslo). He later studied in Copenhagen, Munich and Paris. In 1881 he won, as the only Norwegian artist, the gold medal for the painting Une ferme à Venoix (A farm in Venoix) at the Saloon in Paris. After many years in Paris he moved back to Norway in 1886 and settled in Fleskum, Bærum. Skredsvig's famous neo-romantic painting Seljefløiten (The Sallow Flute, 1889) was painted by the lake Dælivannet in Bærum.
In 1894, he moved to Eggedal in Sigdal municipality where he built his home Hagan. In the natural landscape of Eggedal, Skredsvig found inspiration and motives to paint. The most famous are perhaps Idyll and Jupsjøen (The Deep Sea). In 1896 Skredsvig's good friend and fellow student from the years in Munich, the painter Theodor Kittelsen, also settled in Sigdal, shortly after having visited Skredsvig in his new home.
Skredsvig's autobiography Dager og netter blant kunstnere (Days and nights amongst artists) was published in 1908, and was followed by the novels Møllerens Søn (The miller's son) and Evens hjemkomst (Even's home-coming). Christian Skredsvig was married for 12 years to Maggie Plathe from Høvik, a daughter of Frithjof M. Plahte, but was divorced in 1894. In 1898 Skredsvig married Beret Berg who was from Eggedal. They had four children. Skredsvig lived in Hagan in Eggedal until his death in 1924.
Hagan lies high up in Eggedal with a view over the lake Solevann and the mountain Andersnatten. Skredsvig's former home has been a museum since 1970. The furnishings and artifacts are preserved as they were when Skredsvig lived there. His own work and paintings by his friends still hang on the walls, all together about 150 originals pieces of art. The former residence still belongs to members of the Skredsvig family. The municipality of Sigdal is responsible for maintenance and management of the museum.
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