William H. Johnson, Harbor, Svolvaer, Lofoten, 1937, oil on burlap, 27 x 37 1⁄4 in. (68.5 x 94.5 cm.), Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of the Harmon Foundation, 1967.59.893
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Artwork Details
- Title
- Harbor, Svolvaer, Lofoten
- Artist
- Date
- 1937
- Location
- Dimensions
- 27 x 37 1⁄4 in. (68.5 x 94.5 cm.)
- Credit Line
- Gift of the Harmon Foundation
- Mediums
- Mediums Description
- oil on burlap
- Classifications
- Subjects
- Landscape — Norway — Svolvaer
- Landscape — Norway — Lofoten
- Waterscape — boat
- Waterscape — harbor — Svolvaer Harbor
- Landscape — mountain
- Object Number
- 1967.59.893
Artwork Description
In 1937, William H. Johnson and his Danish wife, Holcha, made their way north of the Arctic Circle to the settlement of Svolvaer in Norway’s Lofoten Islands. Thickly applied colors capture strong contrasts of light and shadow and animate the rugged terrain and fishing boats in the harbor. In letters to friends, Holcha called the Lofotens “marvelously beautiful” and wrote that her husband climbed the hills every day to capture the scenery in different light and weather. This canvas shows the twin peaks of the “Svolvaer Goat,” a landmark in the islands that remains famous to this day.