The Nansen-Amundsen-Year 2011 is hosted by the Norwegian Polar Institute
Site editor: Janne Schreuder | Web developer: Paul-Inge Flakstad
Please note that this web page is collected and stored by the National Library of Norway, in order to document the Nansen-Amundsen-Year 2011.
Fridtjof Nansen – scientist and artistFridtjof Nansen (1861–1930) was a man of many talents – not only an explorer but also a scientist, sportsman, nation-builder, public speaker and more. Always interested in the latest technological advances, Nansen made good use of his camera to document his voyages and expeditions. But he was also a proficient draftsman, always equipped with a paint box and sketchpad, and would illustrate his voyages with small,spontaneous sketches.
Nansen also illustrated several of his books, often from his own photographs. His style was naturalistic, and he depicted landscapes, animals and plants, hunting scenes, the ship and its crew. His penand-ink drawings are reminiscent of Erik Werenskiold, with their short pen strokes and dense hatching with varying pressure on the nib.Nansen himself did not wish to exhibit his work; he regarded himself as a scientist, not an artist. His drawings and paintings were therefore first exhibited in a memorial exhibition (at Kunstnerforbundet in Oslo) short after his death in 1930, and have been shown only occasionally since then. Lillehammer Art Museum believes that the celebrations for the 150th anniversary of his birth would not be complete withouta homage to his artistic talent.
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