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1842, Johan Christian Dahl, View from Stalheim -- National Museum (Oslo)

From the museum label:

 

In this monumental work, Dahl emphasises the near and the distant. By mixing different perspectives, he creates a panoramic effect. The smallest blade of grass is rendered with care, while in the background great mountains dominate. The painting is both a depiction of nature and a symbolic representation of its grandeur. People and animals dot the landscape as reminders of human dependence on nature. Against the dark clouds, the massive peaks are crowned by a double rainbow. A divine message, perhaps?

 

Since 1750, there has been a coaching inn at Stalheim in the western part of Norway. Dahl stays there in 1826. Sixteen years later he composes this painting from the sketches he made during that visit.

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Uploaded on July 4, 2025
Taken on July 4, 2025