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The North Cape

Peder Balke Norwegian
1850s
Not on view
Returned to lender
This work of art was on loan to the museum and has since been returned to its lender.
The North Cape was one of Balke’s favorite motifs. His repetition of the present composition, albeit with differences in the details, invites close comparison of his various approaches to painting it. In this diminutive version, not quite three inches high, active brushwork takes on an outsize role relative to the subject, suggesting that the artist’s aim was not so much descriptive as evocative.

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • Title: The North Cape
  • Artist: Peder Balke (Norwegian, Helgøya, Nes 1804–1887 Oslo (Kristiania))
  • Date: 1850s
  • Medium: Oil on paper, laid down on cardboard
  • Dimensions: 2 11/16 × 3 1/4 in. (6.9 × 8.3 cm)
  • Classification: Paintings
  • Credit Line: The Hearn Family Trust
  • Curatorial Department: European Paintings