Peder Balke

Peder Balke is among the most pioneering painters of 19th-century Scandinavia but despite the beauty and expressiveness of his seascapes, few today will recognise his name. Balke was one of the first artists to venture to the vast, untrodden plains of the North Cape where he was overwhelmed by “opulent beauties of nature and locations delivered to the eye and the mind.” A lack of commercial success forced him to abandon his career as a painter, yet, so alluring was this wilderness on him that Balke continued to paint small scenes for pleasure. Such works, including the Gallery’s ‘Tempest’, are now widely regarded as highly original improvisations of unequalled virtuosity and innovation.

Website
www.nationalgallery.org.uk/peder-balke

Source: http://www.culture24.org.uk//mw522?id=EVENT507789