Frits Thaulow Biography | Oil Paintings.

Frits Thaulow first studied painting at the Academy of Art in Copenhagen between 1870 to 1872, and from 1873 to 1875 at the Baden School of Art in Karlsruhe, under Hans Gude.

In 1879 Frits Thaulow went to Skagen in Denmark, with his friend Christian Krohg, painting with a group of Scandinavians there, Skagen would soon become an artist colony. He then went to Oslo Norway where he lived during the years 1879 to 1892, a pivotal period when French Realism painting was being accepted in Norway. He took these new concepts and made his interpretation of the Norwegian landscape, painting the streets and public gardens of his native Oslo and specialized in painting Scandinavian scenes, A Stone Bridge Over A Stream In Winter, being a good example. Frits Thaulow became an expert at oil painting the complex reflections of the slow-flowing rivers, especially the Simoa River in the autumn and winter months, producing such paintings as An Orchard On The Banks Of A River.

During the 1880s he was very instrumental in establishing more progressive artists associations and exhibitions and was the leading Norwegian artist of the period. Frits Thaulow also made several painting trips abroad, to Paris in 1882-3, Scotland in 1884, followed by Venice in 1885, and Germany during 1885-6. His Paris stays shows a slight influence from Impressionism, but this was never an important element in his artwork, painting in a more realistic format.

Frits Thaulow exhibited at the Exposition Universelle of 1889 in Paris, making contacts with many of the leading French artists, and with the establishment in 1890 of the Salon du Champ de Mars, he became a highly regarded exhibitor there. He decided to move to Paris in 1892, living there until his death. But Parisian cityscapes did not interest him, so he traveled around France painting.

Frits Thaulow was a friend of Oscar Claude Monet and an important link between Norwegian and French art, working within the framework of Realism, to which he made an original contribution. He was a master of portraying the interaction of light and water in the river and lake scenes and his paintings are collected now more than ever before.

Look at our THEN & NOW photo section. See, the present-day location that inspired the famous artist John Constable. We travel the world to find the exact location where the artist set up his easel to paint. We photograph it as it appears today. Now, you can compare side-by-side photos of the original oil painting and the present-day location.

Art Movement: Realism Art.
Artists Influencing Frits Thaulow: Hans Gude.
He Traveled To France, Spain, Italy, Belgium, Netherlands, Denmark, Scotland, Germany.
Artist Biography compiled by Albert L. Mansour at The World's Artist, with text adapted from Wikipedia.