Fredrik Borgen was a skilled Norwegian painter of naturalistic landscapes who exhibited extensively, including at the Autumn Exhibition in Oslo and the Exposition Universelle in Paris.
Borgen was raised on a farm amid the rural environs of Ullensaker in Norway and was evidently blessed with a natural talent for drawing. Like so many landscape artists, he was furnished with ample inspiration in the form of nature itself.
When into his late teens, a charitable employer spotted his ability and sponsored him to undertake formal artistic training. As a result, he enrolled at Johan Fredrik Eckersberg's (1822-1870) painting school in Oslo, one of the foremost establishments of its type in Scandinavia.
Eckersberg was a true master, famed for his depictions of soaring mountain ranges, epic lakes and fjords - each rendered with finesse and exquisite details. His grand portrayals of the homeland went further than simply describing a view, they amplified the very essence of what Norway represented. He was painting the spirit of its people, heritage, and culture, somehow conveying an ideology via the medium of oil paint.
Complex and highly polished works of this type were produced in the studio by using a combination of sketches and one’s memory. They couldn’t be rushed, with the grandest pieces taking many months, or years, to complete.
But by 1870, when Borgen studied with Eckersberg, some younger landscape painters, particularly those in Paris, were beginning to approach their work somewhat differently. Rather than focus on conveying a grand sense of national identity, they simply sought to paint what they saw when among nature itself. Working quickly amid the elements to capture the fleeting effects of light.
Borgen was a product of both ideas, on one hand, it’s apparent that he held the traditionalists in high regard, yet on the other, he was drawn to the emerging ‘plein air’ style of the French painters. In 1877, he undertook a study trip to Paris and sampled these new ideas first-hand.
As a result of this artistic amalgam, we see the best of two worlds across his oeuvre. His compositions are balanced, with the mood often elevated somewhat by enchanting light effects. But equally, they’re rarely overworked and retain their immediacy, as if produced on the spot under the ambient passing clouds.
He represented in numerous public collections including at Norway’s National Museum.
Exhibited
The Autumn Exhibition in Oslo, Exposition Universelle in Paris, The Nordic Exhibition in Copenhagen, Drammen Art Association, Kristiania Art Association, Lübeck.
Public Collections
The National Gallery in Oslo, the National Museum in Stockholm, Trøndelag Art Gallery, Helge Væringsaasen's collection in Elverum, Asker Museum, Stavanger Art Association's Permanent Gallery, Drammen Art Association's Permanent Gallery, Christianssands Art Association Permanent Gallery, Skien Photo Gallery.
Timeline
1852
Born in Ullensaker, Norway, to Henrik Jensen Borgen, a farmer, and Kari Torstensdatter.
1870
Trained at Johan Fredrik Eckersberg's (1822-1870) painting school in Olso.
1877-1888
Undertook a study trip to Paris.
1884
Debuted at The Autumn Exhibition in Oslo, where he continued to exhibit annually.
1889
Shown at the Exposition Universelle in Paris where he was awarded a bronze medal.
1900
Shown at the Exposition Universelle in Paris where he was awarded a silver medal.
1907
Died in Oslo, Norway.