About
- Edvard Munch bestandskatalog
The subdued palette and frontal depiction of the figure against a crude background are typical of Munch's portraits around 1900. This is a variation on the approach he used in portraits such as Inger in Black and Violet and Ragnhild Bäckstrøm (The National Museum, NG.M.00499, NG.M.02814). As with the former, *Aase Nørregaard *is painted with thin layers of colour to create subtle effects of light and haze that contrast with the greater plasticity of the face. Nørregaard is wearing a stylish dress with puff sleeves, a wide neckline with sections of sheer fabric, typical of the bourgeois fashions of the day. Beyond this, there are few details that betray the period or the setting. Aase Nørregaard (b. Aasta Carlsen, 1869--1908) was a close friend of Munch from the late 1880s onwards. She too was a painter with a training from the Royal School of Design (Tegneskolen). In 1888, she made her debut at the National Annual Autumn Exhibition, an event she participated in several times until 1902. She later studied under both Gerhard Munthe and Harriet Backer. In her own work, Nørregaard focused in particular on modern, urban exteriors, in an idiom that reflected contemporary realism and mood painting. This can be seen, for example, in her 1898 painting Kristianiagårder (View from Kristiania) in the National Museum's collection (NG.M.00960b).
Munch painted several portraits of Nørregaard (1888-1889, Woll 2008, M 167, M 542). She also served as model for several figures in larger compositions such as Damene på bryggen (The Women on the Bridge) (1902, Woll 2008 B, M 541). Various letters and draft letters indicate that they developed a close relationship in the late 1880s. In 1889, however, she married the lawyer Harald Nørregaard. Since her married name was then identical to that of the more famous Aasta Nørregaard (1853-1933), also a painter, she changed her first name to Aase. Her friendship with Munch endured even after she married.
Nørregaard's significance for Munch is evident from a letter he wrote to her bereaved husband after Aase's death in 1908: "You know that I know what you have lost -- You think You have lost all Spring and Summer -- And there are no words of comfort -- You also know how great my own loss, the best of my women friends." (letter, 1908, emunch.no: MM N 3671).
The date of the portrait has been a subject of debate. It may have been exhibited in Paris in the spring of 1896, and it is assumed that it was painted the previous year. However, in the exhibition shown in Zurich, Bern and Basel in 1922, and later at the National Gallery in 1927, it was ascribed to 1899. The painting has similarities to the double portrait Aase and Harald Nørregaard from 1899 (The National Museum, NG.M.01794). It is reasonable to infer that these works were executed at around the same time (cf. Eggum 1994; Woll 2008 M 457, M 458).
Øystein Ustvedt
The text was first published in Edvard Munch in the National Museum. A comprehensive overview (Oslo: National Museum, 2022).
- Creation date:
- Antagelig 1899
- Other titles:
- Aase Nørregaard (NOR)
- Object type:
- Painting
- Materials and techniques:
- Olje på lerret
- Material:
- Canvas
- Dimensions:
- Height: 131 cm
- Width: 109 cm
- Keywords:
- Visual art
- Classification:
- 532 - Bildende kunst
- Motif - type:
- Portrait
- Motif - person:
- Nørregaard, Aase (depicted person)
- Inventory no.:
- NG.M.01793
- Cataloguing level:
- Single object
- Inscriptions:
- Primary, Signature, nede høyre: E. Munch
- Acquisition:
- Gift from Harald Nørregaard 1935
- Owner and collection:
- Nasjonalmuseet for kunst, arkitektur og design, The Fine Art Collections
- Photo:
- Børre Høstland
- Hansen, Vibeke Waallann, et al. Edvard Munch i Nasjonalmuseet: en samlet oversikt. Redigert av Ustvedt, Øystein, et al. Oslo: Nasjonalmuseet, 2022. kat.nr. 38.
- Woll, Gerd. Edvard Munch: Samlede malerier: B. 2: 1898-1908. Oslo: Cappelen Damm, 2008. kat.nr. 457.
- Cross, Elizabeth, red. Edvard Munch: The Frieze of Life. Utstillingskatalog. Melbourne: National Gallery of Victoria, 2004. kat.nr. 29.
- Lange, Marit. «Munch as Portrait Painter», i «Edvard Munch: The Frieze of Life», utstillingskatalog, 2004. 136–7.
- Eggum, Arne. Edvard Munch. Portretter. Utstillingskatalog. Oslo: Munchmuseet og Labyrinth Press, 1994. 9, 89.
- Nasjonalgalleriet, red. Norske malerier. Katalog. Oslo, 1992. 341.
- Nasjonalgalleriet, red. Katalog over norsk malerkunst: med 158 illustrasjoner. Oslo, 1968. kat.nr. 1286.
- Nasjonalgalleriet, red. Katalog over norsk malerkunst. Oslo, 1950. kat.nr. 1069.
- Thiis, Jens. Edvard Munch og hans samtid: Slekten, livet og kunsten, geniet. Oslo: Gyldendal, 1933. 279.
- Nasjonalgalleriet, red. Edvard Munch. Utstillingskatalog. Oslo, 1927. kat.nr. 110.
- Glaser, Curt. Edvard Munch. Berlin: Bruno Cassirer, 1917. 80.
Nasjonalmuseet's collection catalogue is a living resource of information gathered since the 1830's. Some records may contain language or ideas that today could be perceived as outdated, offensive or discriminatory with regard to for instance gender, sexuality, ethnicity or disability, and that may be at odds with the museum's values regarding equality and diversity.
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Other works by Edvard Munch
The Day AfterEdvard Munch(1894)
Inger in Black and VioletEdvard Munch1892
Thorvald LøchenEdvard Munch1918
House with Red Virginia CreeperEdvard MunchAntagelig mellom 1898 og 1899
Tupsy JebeEdvard Munch1896
Workers Returning HomeEdvard Munch1920
Seated NudeEdvard Munch(1913)
Study for a PortraitEdvard Munch1887
Scene from BygdøyEdvard MunchCirka 1881
WomanEdvard MunchCirka 1894
Two Children by the Window; Fighting couple and a Devil; Girl seeing a Devil's FeetEdvard MunchCirka 1884
AshesEdvard Munch(1895)








































