After the violences in Norway in July 2011 my thoughts were occupied with the music of Edvard Grieg and out of sympathy for the Norveigians I
started to do some paintings. I have made four paintings and they all refer to the music in the drama Peer Gynt.
PEER GYNT
Peer Gynt is a five-act play in verse by the Norwegian dramatist Henrik Ibsen (1828 – 1906) written in 1867 and published in the same year.
The work is regarded the main work within the Norwegian literature. The work soon became a success and the first theater performance was in
February 1876.
Edvard Grieg (1843 – 1907) composed the music to the play in 1875. The music includes some of today's most recognized classical pieces,
Morning Mood, In the Hall of the Mountain King, Anitra´s Dance and Solveig´s song.
A short summary of the drama:
Peer has a vivid imagination, he is untruthful and a charming young man of 20 years. He is a braggart. During a getaway in the mountain he suffers
from hangover and has a dream in which he meets women clad in green and the mountain king. As an outlaw, Peer struggles to build his own cottage
in the hills. Solveig turns up and insists on living with him. After his mother's death he sets off overseas leaving Solveig alone at home.
Peer is away for many years, taking part in various occupations and playing various roles including that of a businessman engaged in enterprises
on the coast of Morocco. He tries to seduce Anitra, the chieftain's daughter, but she gets away, and leaves him. He wanders through the desert
to Egypt and many confrontations.
Finally, on his way home as an old man, he is shipwrecked. Back home in Norway, Peer Gynt attends a peasant funeral, and an auction, where he
offers for sale everything from his earlier life. Peer stumbles along, and is confronted with all that he didn't do, his unsung songs,
his unmade works, his unwept tears, and his questions that were never asked. Peer despairs in the end, understanding that his life is forfeited.
He understands he is nothing. But at the same moment, Solveig starts to sing her lullaby for him, and we might presume he dies in this last
scene of the play, although there are no stage directions or dialogue to indicate that he actually does. (Mostly from Wikipedia)
Oh, what a beautiful morning", oil, 60 * 60 cm
Anitra did not dance here, oil, 60 * 60 cm
Let the gold lead you to the Mountain King, oil 60 * 60 cm
Lady sings the blues, oil, 60 * 60 cm
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Edvard Grieg (1843 – 1907) composed the music to the play in 1875. The music includes some of today's most recognized classical pieces, Morning Mood, In the Hall of the Mountain King, Anitra´s Dance and Solveig´s song.
A short summary of the drama:
Peer has a vivid imagination, he is untruthful and a charming young man of 20 years. He is a braggart. During a getaway in the mountain he suffers from hangover and has a dream in which he meets women clad in green and the mountain king. As an outlaw, Peer struggles to build his own cottage in the hills. Solveig turns up and insists on living with him. After his mother's death he sets off overseas leaving Solveig alone at home. Peer is away for many years, taking part in various occupations and playing various roles including that of a businessman engaged in enterprises on the coast of Morocco. He tries to seduce Anitra, the chieftain's daughter, but she gets away, and leaves him. He wanders through the desert to Egypt and many confrontations. Finally, on his way home as an old man, he is shipwrecked. Back home in Norway, Peer Gynt attends a peasant funeral, and an auction, where he offers for sale everything from his earlier life. Peer stumbles along, and is confronted with all that he didn't do, his unsung songs, his unmade works, his unwept tears, and his questions that were never asked. Peer despairs in the end, understanding that his life is forfeited. He understands he is nothing. But at the same moment, Solveig starts to sing her lullaby for him, and we might presume he dies in this last scene of the play, although there are no stage directions or dialogue to indicate that he actually does. (Mostly from Wikipedia)
Oh, what a beautiful morning", oil, 60 * 60 cm
Anitra did not dance here, oil, 60 * 60 cm
Let the gold lead you to the Mountain King, oil 60 * 60 cm
Lady sings the blues, oil, 60 * 60 cm
Back to Gallery