Sohlberg-Natt. A painting of a white church with a steeple Norway

Sohlberg was born in Kristiania (modern day Oslo) in 1869, into a large, middle class family of eight children. He failed to finish school, leaving at the age of sixteen to train as a decorative painter. He subsequently studied under Harriet Backer, Erik Werenskiold and Eilif Peterssen all of whom developed a distinct Nordic aesthetic characterised by rich colours and the interplay of light and shadow. Throughout his career Sohlberg repudiated suggestions that he was under the influence of Edvard Munch, six years his senior. Whilst both embraced the tenets of stemnings or ‘mood paintings’ that characterised early twentieth-century Nordic art, Sohlberg’s paintings have less of a psychological component than Munch’s. Sohlberg’s The Fisherman’s Cottage and Oslo, Fra Akershus share a near-identical colour palette with several works from Munch’s ‘The Frieze of Life’ series. Nonetheless, there is a certain warmth to Sohlberg’s work that distinguishes him from his fellow countrymen. His visual universe remains as relevant as ever, providing a symbol of solace in troubled times.