Forests, Rocks, Torrents Exhibition Catalogue

Forests, Rocks, Torrents: Norwegian and Swiss Landscape Paintings from the Lunde Collection presents an extraordinary selection of nineteenth century Norwegian and Swiss landscape painting.

This fully illustrated exhibition catalogue looks at the similarities of the two traditions – the focus on the shared scenery of snowcapped peaks, thinly populated valleys, dense forests and ice-cold cataracts, and a comparable attention to geological detail – but also at the differences that climate, character and national temperament imposed on artists such as Johan Christian Dahl, Peder Balke and Thomas Fearnley in Norway, and Alexandre Calame and François Diday in Switzerland.

Norway was poor, isolated and dependent for survival on its natural resources; Switzerland was prosperous, independent and an early centre of industry. Forests, Rocks, Torrents: Norwegian and Swiss Landscape Paintings from the Lunde Collection examines how these realities were reflected in their respective painting traditions and introduces skilled and innovative landscape painters to new audiences.

Christopher Riopelle is Curator of Post-1800 Paintings at the National Gallery, London. Sarah Herring is Isaiah Berlin Assistant Curator of Post-1800 Paintings at the National Gallery, London.