As a painter and educator, Egil Weiglin represents a classically rooted tradition in Norwegian post-war art, a tradition in which Jean Heiberg and Axel Revold stand as the great communicators of the legacy of Cézanne. Although Weiglin's formal language can sometimes approach the abstract, he has never let go of the set reality. "I let the pictures lie as close to the subject as is possible for me," he stated soberly in 1964, "although I have always felt like a naturalist." He has painted characterful portraits, but it is above all the landscape that has been at the center of his interest. In his paintings, which are generally of modest formats, Weiglin combines a clearly articulated pictorial structure and a shimmering, Illyrian experience of nature. His art is restrained in the best sense of the word.

Egil Weiglin is not one of the loudest players in Norwegian art life. His low-key landscape abstractions have been seen in various contexts, but he has not been a frequent solo exhibitor. It is therefore a pleasure for Kunstnernes Hus to be able to present a rich selection of his work on Weiglin's 70th birthday.

Arne Malmedal
Chairman of the Board