The Norwegian painter, novelist, and social critic Christian Krohg (1852-1925) is best known for creating highly political paintings of workers, prostitutes, and Skagen fishermen of the 1880s and for serving as a mentor to Edvard Munch. One of the Nordic countries' most avant-garde naturalist artists, Krohg was influenced by French thinkers such as Emile Zola, Claude Bernard, and Hippolyte Taine, and he shocked the provincial sensibilities of his time. His work reached beyond the art world when his book Albertine and its related paintings were banned upon publication. Telling the story of a young seamstress who turns to a life of prostitution, it galvanized support for outlawing prostitution in Norway-but Krohg was also punished for the work's sexual content. Examining the theories of Krohg and his fellow naturalists and their reception in Scandinavian intellectual circles, Oystein Sjastad places Krohg in an international perspective and reveals his striking contribution to European naturalism. In the process, Christian Krohg's Naturalism provides an unparalleled account of Krohg's art.

The Norwegian painter, novelist, and social critic Christian Krohg (1852-1925) is best known for creating highly political paintings of workers, prostitutes, and Skagen fishermen of the 1880s and for serving as a mentor to Edvard Munch. One of the Nordic countries' most avant-garde naturalist artists, Krohg was influenced by French thinkers such as Emile Zola, Claude Bernard, and Hippolyte Taine, and he shocked the provincial sensibilities of his time. His work reached beyond the art world when his book Albertine and its related paintings were banned upon publication. Telling the story of a young seamstress who turns to a life of prostitution, it galvanized support for outlawing prostitution in Norway-but Krohg was also punished for the work's sexual content. Examining the theories of Krohg and his fellow naturalists and their reception in Scandinavian intellectual circles, Oystein Sjastad places Krohg in an international perspective and reveals his striking contribution to European naturalism. In the process, Christian Krohg's Naturalism provides an unparalleled account of Krohg's art.

There are some collectors who through foresight and dedication have built truly outstanding art collections and shared them widely as part of public museums. Among these were Samuel Courtauld in London and Rasmus Meyer in Bergen. At the heart of each man's collection were single artists who were their greatest passions: for Courtauld it was Paul Cezanne and for Meyer, Edvard Munch. This unique collaboration between KODE art museums in Bergen and The Courtauld in London, celebrates these two remarkable collectors and two great artists by showing masterpieces by Cezanne in Bergen and Munch in London. The Courtauld is home to some of the most important paintings by Cezanne, such as The Card Players and Montagne Sainte-Victoire. "Cezanne. Masterpieces from The Courtauld at KODE Art Museum" is the story about how collectors and artists became aware of Cezanne. This publication not only presents ten key works from The Courtauld along with Cezannes from Norwegian collections, it also brings them together with eye witness accounts from the early years of his profound influence, seen through the lens of the Norwegian art scene around 1900. With essays by Barnaby Wright, Oystein Sjastad and Karen Serres and an introduction by Line Daatland. Forewords by Petter Snare and Ernst Vegelin van Claerbergen.