Visiting Munch´s Åsgårdstrand

The weather in Oslo this morning was bad. Very bad with heavy rain as we have had last night too.

We therefore decided to take a trip to the small city Åsgardstrand where many Norwegian painters like:  Edvard Munch, Christian Krogh and Hans Heyerdahl stayed many summers. Åsgårdstrand can be seen as the Norwegian answer to Denmark´s Skagen.

One of Munch´s most famous paintings are "Girls on the Bridge" 1901 (below) and my wife placed herself almost in the same position as Munch´s models.

Munch always said "I don´t paint what I see. I paint what I saw" but in Åsgårdstrand it is easy to imagine where he put his easel and model.

I am not convinced that the Melancholy beach is on the beach below his house. (That is what the guides are arguing) A little bit south of the harbor (where I am sitting) looks more like the place for "Melancholy" 1891 - 94.

Munch first visited the coast between Borre and Åsgårdstrand in 1885. He rented a house from 1889 and bought his own house in 1898. The year after he raised the red studio-house where many of his sketches for "Livsfrisen" was made.  Today "Munchs House" is a small museum and cultural center.

Of course he also painted the two houses and this nice painting expresses the warm summer cottages in the light of Åsgårdstrand.

We had a great day in Åsgårdstrand and recommend everyone to visit the area and feel the spirit of our great painter Edvard Munch