Theodor Kittelsen died already in 1914 - sick and worn out from hardship, probably still with countless things undone. And yet, when you get an overview of his production through an exhibition like this, it strikes you not only how extensive it is, but also how close his art is to you, how alive it is. In recent years, our great 80-year masters have been celebrated in turn in connection with their 100-year jubilee, their efforts and significance have been properly interpreted and assessed — and we have been given a summary of the fund of genius that the circle of comrades from the 1880s just brought to us when we needed it most: artistic talent, feeling for nature, decorative talent — everything that could serve to concretize our experiences of Norwegian tradition, Norwegian nature and folk life — and which could not least lay the foundation for the art of a modern Norwegian painter. Th. Kittelsen was not the greatest painter among them, but he brought other values - imagination and humor, a sense of the grotesque and burlesque. He realized certain aspects of Norwegian temperament so that we have accepted them as part of our cultural heritage. And wherever these elements appear later in our art, we sense Kittelsen as a source of inspiration. Perhaps it is primarily due to the fact that these aspects of his talent did not stand in isolation, but in intimate contact with his sense of nature. It was during his stay in the magnificent Lofoten that he found frem til seg selv, as if the sea and the mountains, the storm and the midnight sun gave his imagination the starting points it needed. Or later the solitude, silence and mystery of the great forests. It is never pure artistry with Kittelsen, but an immediate experience that makes us recognize ourselves and that his works live on in us. That does not prevent him from being a great draftsman whose line is pointed and clear, whose form is large and lush.

We would like to take this opportunity to thank all those who have lent us works for this exhibition and who have thereby made it possible for us to give Theodor Kittelsen the tribute he deserves.

Direksjonen for Kunstnernes Hus.