Else Hagen: Between People at The National Museum of Norway
The exhibition “Else Hagen – Between People”, open to the public at The National Museum of Norway until January 26th, 2025, offers a comprehensive retrospective of the life and work of Else Hagen (1914–2010). This show provides a rare opportunity to appreciate the diverse and rich output of one of Norway's most influential 20th-century artists, whose works challenge and expand traditional notions of public art and female representation. Comprised of approximately 70 works, including paintings, prints, and monumental materials, this travelling exhibition began at the Stavanger Art Museum and will journey through Trondheim, Oslo, and Kunstsilo in Kristiansand, adapting to each venue to highlight Else Hagen's versatile character and the contemporary relevance of her work.
In addition to the exhibited works, the show is accompanied by a book featuring articles by critics and scholars such as Vibece Salthe, Frida Forsgren, Ida Grøttum, Lin Stafne-Pfisterer, and Øystein Ustvedt, covering significant themes like Hagen's role in Norwegian art and her social impact. The exploration of the feminist potential in her work and analysis of her constructivist approach demonstrates how Hagen continues to challenge conventions, even decades after her creation
LEFT: Else Hagen, Coronation, 1953, © Else Hagen/BONO, Photo: National Museum/Andreas Harvik; RIGHT: Else Hagen, Floral Priest Collar, 1956/57, © Else Hagen/BONO, Photo: National Museum/Børre Høstland
The Beginning: Painting and Printmaking as Means of Expression and Social Reflection
Else Hagen began her artistic training at the Academy of Arts in Oslo, where she studied from 1934 to 1938 under renowned masters such as Axel Revold, Jean Heiberg, and Georg Jacobsen. Strongly influenced by the constructivist theories of Jacobsen’s school, her early paintings from the 1940s and 50s are marked by abstract compositions, linear constructions, and expressive use of color and geometric forms. Although the constructivist technique gave her work a structured base, Hagen soon established her own identity, imbuing her subjects with a more narrative and symbolic character, often inspired by everyday life.
Her themes, drawn from common life, carried a deep and provocative content. Hagen aimed to portray "people as products of their environment – alive, fated individuals," as she herself defined. Through her vision, each individual is shaped by their surrounding context, raising questions about identity and society, while also challenging gender roles and family dynamics. Her attention to color was always a strong point, used as an essential tool to convey feelings and compositions that transcended form itself.
LEFT: Else Hagen. Between People, © Else Hagen/BONO, Photo: National Museum/Børre Høstland; RIGHT: Else Hagen, 1945. Photographer unknown. The National Museum Documentation archive
Social Engagement and the Transition to Monumental Works
In the 1950s, Hagen embarked on a new chapter by expanding her practice into public spaces, undertaking large monumental projects that made her presence unmistakable in the Norwegian landscape. Among her best-known works is the monumental mosaic *Samfunn* / *Society* (1960–66), located in the stairwell of the Norwegian Parliament. With this piece, Hagen not only demonstrated her technical skill but also showcased her ability to take art beyond individual boundaries, engaging the public with universal themes in collective spaces.
Over time, she began incorporating more sculptural materials into her large-scale works, such as stone, wood, metal, and colored glass, exemplified in the decorations for the Postgirobygget in Oslo and the University Library in Bergen. These material choices brought a new texture and dimension to her works, enhancing the viewer's experience and inviting them to interact with the space in a more immersive way.
LEFT: Else Hagen, Family, 1950, © Else Hagen/BONO, Photo: The Munch Museum/Richard Jeffries; RIGHT: Else Hagen, Mother and Child, 1949, © Else Hagen/BONO, Photo: National Museum/Therese Husby;
Modern Figurativism and Implicit Feminism: Challenging Conventions
Else Hagen’s “figurative modernism” emphasized both form and color while consistently incorporating themes related to female experience, family fractures, and complex human dynamics. By questioning traditional gender roles and exploring tensions in personal relationships, Hagen contributed to an implicit discourse that resonated with the feminist currents of the post-war period. In one of her prints titled “Everything Means Something Else”, the artist subverted the viewer's gaze by highlighting ambiguity and dual interpretation, as she herself stated: “It’s an idea I want to convey, something beyond what one sees.” For Hagen, the power of art lay in its ability to suggest more than it appeared, to provoke and to reflect.
LEFT: Else Hagen, The Secret, 1945, © Else Hagen/BONO, Photo: Nasjonalmuseet/Børre Høstland; RIGHT: Else Hagen, The Roles Assigned, 1950, © Else Hagen/BONO, Photo: Kunstsilo/Tangen Collection/A. G. Dannevig;
The Else Hagen exhibition at The National Museum of Norway invites the public to revisit and understand this artist's unique contribution. Her ability to blend narrative, formal experimentation, and social engagement continues to inspire and challenge the boundaries of public art and the representation of human experience. In “Mellom mennesker / Between People”, Else Hagen reaffirms herself as a fundamental figure in the development of modern art and in questioning social and gender roles in Norway.
LEFT: Else Hagen. Between People, © Else Hagen/BONO, Photo: National Museum/Børre Høstland; RIGHT: Else Hagen. Between People, © Else Hagen/BONO, Photo: National Museum/Børre Høstland
LOT-ART SERVICES FOR COLLECTOR
NEW! Best Deals: Bid on highly liquid lots with an estimate below the historical sale price. Make smart investment decisions powered by Market Analytics. Discover Best Deals >>
Market Analytics: Lot-Art big data analytics assess the liquidity, actual value, investment risk and profitability of fine art (contemporary art, modern art, old masters) and luxury collectibles (timepieces), enabling informed investment decisions within a strategy of portfolio diversification. Discover Market Analytics >>
Lot-Art Memberships: Receive Personalized Alerts on your favorite artists and collectibles at auction worldwide to never miss a bid! Subscribe now >>
Lot-Art.com is the world's largest search engine & aggregator of art and collectibles linking to 3800+ auction houses! Find best deals from your favorite artists and brands among 1 million lots for sale every day in our upcoming section >>
LOT-ART | The Art Investment Platform
Lot-Art.com is the largest search engine & aggregator for auctions of art and collectibles linking to 3800+ auction houses! Find best deals from your favorite artists and brands among 1 million lots for sale every day in our upcoming section.
LOT-ART | The Art Investment Platform
contact@lot-art.com
|
|
|
|
|---|
Don't want these emails anymore? |
|
|
|---|
|
