Bridal Procession on the Hardangerfjord
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Bridal Procession on the Hardanger is one of the most well known paintings in the art history of Norway. It was made in 1848 by Adolph Tidemand and Hans Gude. The size of the painting is 93 x 130 cm, and is preserved in the National Gallery (Norway) in Oslo. It is a typical example of a collaborative work, in which Gude painted the landscapes and Tidemand the characters.
Bridal Procession in Hardanger is a masterpiece of Romantic Nationalism in Norway. It combines the romantic elements of fantasy, feeling and nature with the young Norwegian nationalism. A bridal procession runs in boats a fjord after the wedding. The bride and groom sit on the first boat; Behind this, in the distance, other boats are distinguished with the guests of the wedding. The crew are dressed in typical costumes (bunad); The bride is crowned and the groom is perhaps the man who greets the hat. In the bow one observes a musician and a man armed with a rifle, about to shoot a shot in the air in greeting. The surrounding landscape shows a beautiful sunny summer day, high steep mountains with green trees and the fjord's crystal clear waters. The nature of Hardanger is dramatic, and the dark mountains contrast with the fjord, illuminated by the rays of the sun.
The painting was commissioned by the Christiania Theater on the occasion of a cultural soiree in 1849 where a theatrical group, dressed in traditional costumes and aboard a boat, performed a song by Andreas Munch with music by Halfdan Kjerulf, and the painting served as scenery.
References
- Malmanger, Magne. 1981. Maleriet 1814-1870, fra klassisisme til tidlig realisme (The painting, 1814-1870, from classicism to early realism), in Norges kunsthistorie, volume 4, Oslo ISBN 82-05-12268-7