Asta Nørregaard: Truth and Beauty

For many years, N rregaard was overshadowed by more famous contemporaries, but recently she has gained recognition as a substantial force in Norwegian art history. The publication shows many of her major works from the late 1870s through to the 1920s, with an emphasis on the period around 1900.

After studying art for many years under highly respected teachers, Asta N rregaard (1853-1933) became an established artist. She exhibited at the Paris Salon and carried out numerous portrait commissions for prominent figures from the upper class of Norwegian society, and from the fields of science and culture. She also ran her own painting school and established endowments for female artists and musicians. Even though N rregaard is primarily known for her portraits, she also painted landscapes, interiors, and religious scenes. For many years, N rregaard was overshadowed by more famous contemporaries, but recently she has gained recognition as a substantial force in Norwegian art history.

This book brings together the breadth of N rregaard's artistic practice. It presents portraits of leading cultural and scientific figures of her time, studies of dress and fashion, and a museum-based detective story in which the question of who is portrayed takes center stage. Taken together, the texts offer an understanding of N rregaard, not only as a portrait painter, but as an active participant in the art world and as an artist who challenged the boundaries of what women could be in her time

Author: Wenche Volle
Binding Type: Hardcover
Publisher: National Museum of Oslo
Published: 09/15/2026
Pages: 256
Weight: 1.56lbs
ISBN: 9788281541740