One of my favorite painters is a relatively unknown Norwegian painter and engraver named Frits Thaulow.
I only discovered Thaulow because the Philadelphia Museum of Art happens to have a stunning painting of his in their permanent collection called Water Mill. It is a large work (32 x 47 5/8 inches - 81.3 x 121 cm) that is strikingly beautiful both from across the gallery and up close. It has been one of my favorites in the museum, and a “must visit” when I’m there, for a long time (image above, bottom left). Unfortunately, I couldn’t find a larger reproduction of this painting on the web to show you, but I have found some others.
Thaulow is another of those artists I favor who walk the line between realism and Impressionism. He is obviously influenced by the French (and perhaps Russian) impressionists, and displays their bright palette, plein air approach and fresh open brushwork, but never lets his canvasses dissolve into the blizzard of separate brushstrokes that became the hallmark of Impressionist technique.
Like Gustave Caillebotte, he works within the structure of realism. He was actually more strongly influenced by French realist art than Impressionism, in particular Jules Bastien-Lepage as well as Swedish painter Carl Skånberg. He originally intended to be a marine painter, and many of his early works are of the sea and shore, but he moved his subject matter inland and became a master of smaller bodies of water. He does the most wonderful paintings I have encountered of one of my favorite subjects, small streams and slow-moving rivers.
He is astonishingly skillful at portraying the complex relationships of gently swirling water as a reflective surface for sky and landscape. His water, particularly in the painting at the Philadelphia museum, is simultaneously reflective and translucent.
Thaulow’s use of color is at once brilliant and restrained, again as if he had gone to the brink of Impressionism and pulled back, and is wonderfully evocative of time of day, season and weather.
Prior to the expansion of the Internet in recent years, I had difficulty finding any information him, even in university libraries. There are a couple of books available through Amazon: Frits Thaulow: October 11-November 16, 1985 (exhibition catalog), Frits Thaulow: 10 November-6 December 1986, the Fine Art Society, London (exhibition catalog) and Frits Thaulow: 1847-1906 by Vidar Poulsson.
Nice pick!
I came across Thaulow during the visual research I was doing for my piece about Albert Edelfelt. (Google tip: He’s sometimes known as Johan Frederik Thaulow)
His handling of the surfaces of water is always masterful. It’s hard to find a picture by Thaulow that doesn’t have water running through it!
One picture of his (that doesn’t contain water as its main subject) gets me right here every time I look at it.
It’s among your links at: http://www.mundofree.com/pintura_nordica/RENTLERG.JPG
Glad to know about it.
Michael, Thanks for the comments and the Google tip!
whow..this is amazing… what a lesson about colors…Thanks for sharing this.
Hi,
I appreciate your information on Frits Thaulow. I have a very small painting from my dad that appears to be a Frits Thaulow. Framed, it measures about 4 x 6 inches–very small, almost postcard size. It is a painting and not a postcard, however. It is a view of Holland, with a road going off into the horizon and a windmill, with a row of poplar trees alongside. Foreground is a marshy pond. The composition is decidedly Thaulow, as is the technique. I’ve looked through all the web posting with pictures of his paintings and there is none of this, so I don’t think it’s a copy. How do I find out about it? It’s lovely. Thank you for your help.
C.Berglie (I’m Norwegian and my grandfather was a painter; he is the one who acquired this painting.)
fourmi, Thanks for the comment. Other readers will want to check out fourmi’s web site, which features visual development for several European TV and film projects.
Carole,
That sounds like a wonderful gift from your dad.
The only thing I can suggest is to contact the curator of paintings at a local museum, explain your situation and see if they can either help or recommend someone who can.
I just returned from Chicago, where I “discovered” Thaulow at the Art Institute; their one oil painting of his on display [an icy river] simply knocked me out. Your website is just great….I’d never read of him or seen his work; now I’ll have to find him wherever I go.
Sally
I also first came across the Water Mill at the Philadelphia Museum of Art. It was the first painting that really grabbed my attention. It was the highlight of my visit to the museum.
The Thaulow painting Water Mill - I just saw it at the Philadelphia Museum and fell in love with it. I would love to have a copy - do you have any suggestion on how to get a reproduction?
There is a new book out on him: “Frits Thaulow. En internasjonal maler” (An international painter). It was written by myself, a Norwegian art historian, to accompany an exhibition of 60 paintings at the Lillehammer Art Museum in Norway this summer. It is in the Norwegian language only. The book contains 184 pages, all the works are illustrated in colour, and there are an introduction, documents and an up-to-date chronology. I do not have any time myself to reply to questions from private individuals, sorry. For the time being, the book has to be considered the standard work on the painter. It has been published by Labyrinth Press, Odins gate 32, 0260 Oslo, Norway. The price during the exhibition was N.kr. 390, but I do not know what the publisher will charge after the exhibition, which ended on the 10th September 2006. I think it can be ordered through him or through one of the main Norwegian booksellers. The following numbers do apply: ISBN-13: 978-82-7393-034-7 and ISBN-10: 82-7393-034-3.
I am pleased that Charley Parker and the writers in the blog like this painter, but I do not think that I want to comment any further about his style. However, I am pleased that the Water Mill at the Philadelphia Museum of Art has caught the attention and that it seems to be permanently on view. The work at the Art Institute in Chicago is a pastel, which they acquired recently. It is also very good. However, beware of cheap work on sale in the U.S.A., there is a superabundance of fakes on the market.
The “Link” to websites purporting to give information on Thaulow is not any good and these references should be avoided. I was the author of the books from 1985 (New York) and 1986 (London) mentioned, but twenty years have passed, and my research has progressed much further, so the real value of these books consist of the good colour reproductions only.
Michele,
There are Thalow prints available in places, but I haven’t seen one for Water Mill. I did not see one at the Philadelphia Museum of Art when I last looked. However, I do know that the museum permits non-flash photography of works in their permanent collection. (I’ve intended to photograph Water Mill for some time, just haven’t gotten to it.)
Vidar,
Thank you for the infromation about the book! That’s great to know. It’s not listed on the US version of Amazon, but I’ve found it listed on artbooks.com, but I will look around in other places as well.
Charley,
The Watermill was part of the John G. Johnson Collection. The W. R. Valentiner catalogue of 1914 does not give further particulars of provenance.The subject is, however, from the “petits moulins” by the Canche river at Montreuil-sur-Mer in the Pas-de-Calais department in France. The artist painted there from September until November 1892. Postcards from these mills are usually offered at the Delcampe netsite for postcards. One goes to http://www.delcampe.net and seeks France - Ile de France - Montreuil and then combines “Montreuil” and “moulins” to find examples. I do not like modern Thaulow reproductions, such as “giclee prints”. Those are usually pilfered from auction reproductions available on the internet, mainly from Christies and Sothebys auctions. I do not think that the Philadelphia Museum of Art has authorized any reproduction of “Water Mill”, unless they have issued a reproduction themselves.
Correction: Not “Ile de France” but “Pas-de-Calais”.
Vidar,
Thanks again for your input and expertise. I started a brief look through the postcards, but have not gotten far enough to find anything positive.
If I have a chance to get the the Philadelphia Museum in the near future I’ll inquire about reproductions.
Hi, I just want to say that Frits Thaulow is my great, great grandfather!
I love his paintings too, by the way…
I went to university in Philadelphia and took many trips to the Museum of Art just to sit in front of the Water Mill painting. It was well worth the trip every time. I always begin and end any visit to that museum with that painting.
I’ve been looking for a reproduction for years; I haven’t found one yet. I will forever be on the lookout!
It’s encouraging to hear from so many enthusiasts of Thaulow’s work!
Bonjour
Je possede une trés jolie huile sur toile non signée mais titrée au dos effet de neige et attribuée a Frittes Thaulow
J’aimerais prendre contact avec Mr Vidar Poulsson pour avoir son avis
Voici mon email en France
phil.jiguet@tele2.fr
Merci
Saw my first Fritz Thaulow work at the Philadelphia Museum, the “Water Mill”, while there to view the recent Antonio Mancini show. What a tremendous “bit of icing” to see Mancini, come out of the gallery and get floored by Thaulow’s magnificent painting. Had to find out as much and see as much as I could about him. Beautiful beautiful natural work!!
Unfortunately, they’ve taken it off display since then. I don’t know for how long.
i read that frits died in ohio. i have not seen any of his paintings from this late period in america. i will be glad for any info on this. thanks
Well said Charley! Ironically, when attending another artist’s exhibition, (Antonio Mancini) I too “discovered” the painting , “the Water Mill” and was , as most who see it, completely blown away. I immediately called some friends of mine and said WHO IS THIS GUY?
Turns out he is a well collected, respected, “landscape/plein-air” artist and not surprisingly has influenced quite a few of the present crop of outdoor painters. Great post, great taste Charley if I do say so myself!