“Experience the history of Nesbyen through the eyes of the artists”

About Nesbyen Art Landsacpe

The project “Nesbyen’s Art Landscape” illustrates life in Nes during the mid-1800’s. It aims to illustrate the relationship between Nes in Hallingdal and national romanticism. The Hallingdal officials lived in Nes at this time and the Court of Hallingdal Judge, Ove Gude, moved into the “Sorenskrivergården” in 1843. His son, the painter Hans Gude, visited often and invited friends to stay with the family. They too were inspired by the beautiful scenery and the local people.

This building was the home of important artistic activity and will be a learning center for national romanticism. Take a walk along the “Gude trail” and visit the exhibition “Into the Art”. There are future plans to extend the centre to include other aspects of national romanticism.

Through the eyes of the artists

Hans Gude, son of the Judge, was a regular visitor and often invited friends and colleagues: the painters Adolph Tidemand and Bernt Lund, the composer Halfdan Kjerulf, the author Jørgen Moe and many others.

Pictures of the paintings they made during their stay in Nesbyen are exhibited near the places where they found the motifs. Even the composer and the author found inspiration here.

Click the points on the map to see more information. You can also click “Read more” at a point and scroll between them.

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Into the art

Officebuilding

This exhibition is a journey into the art of Hans Gude and his colleagues in Norway and in Europe. It is also a journey into the life and ways of Nesbyen in the 1840´s and 1850´s (The red Room)

In the main room (The green Room) there is a copy of the house as it stood at the time. You can watch videos through the windows. You can also read about the life and work of Hans Gude and see portraits of him and his family and friends

In The blue Room the landscape that inspired the painters is shown in a video on the floor.

Washhouse

In the old washhouse are mounted five portraits of people from Nesbyen. Two of them: «Halling girl» and the portrait of Ole Olsen were made by Hans Gude’s friend Adolph Tidemand. The other three are drawings by the painter Eilif Peterssen who lived much later.

Olsgård

The home and office of the Court of Hallingdal Judges

In the mid-1800´s Nesbyen was just a small village, but was the centre of the Court of Hallingdal Judges from 1825. The first to be appointed a Judge of Hallingdal chose this farm, Olsgård, as their home and office.

The farm itself has been known through written sources since the 1500´s, but is probably a lot older. The main house was built in late 1820s, but an extra part was added in 1877. The office-building was built in 1828, burnt down in 1829 and rebuilt right away.

In 1845 the farm was finally bought by the state and made the official home and office for the Court of Hallingdal Judges. At that time the Judge was Ove Gude, the father of the painter Hans Gude. And that is the start of our story and journey into the art of Hans Gude and the art of national romanticism in Norway.