{"product_id":"thomas-fearnley-old-birch-tree-sognefjord-1839-art-poster","title":"Thomas Fearnley: Old Birch Tree at the Sognefjord (1839)","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eA Norwegian landscape poster featuring Thomas Fearnley’s \u003cem\u003eOld Birch Tree at the Sognefjord\u003c\/em\u003e from 1839. The monumental birch rises above two small figures and the fjord landscape, transformed into a powerful symbol of Norwegian nature and history.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ePrinted locally on heavyweight matte paper, as close to you as possible. Typical delivery time: 2–5 business days.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eNorwegian National Romantic landscape by Thomas Fearnley\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003ePainted at Slinde beside the Sognefjord in 1839\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eA historic sacred birch on the burial mound Hydneshaugen\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eRich colour, dramatic scale and fine natural detail\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003ePrinted on 200 gsm premium matte paper\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eAvailable in five sizes\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eFrame not included\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eThe ancient birch at Slinde\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFearnley places the old birch high above the Sognefjord landscape. Its pale trunk twists upward through a crown of glowing leaves, while two figures seen from behind pause at the foot of the tree. The people appear small beside the birch, strengthening its sense of age and monumentality.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe tree stood on Hydneshaugen, an ancient burial mound at Indre Slinde in Sogn. According to \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/snl.no\/Slindebj%C3%B8rka\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"\u003eStore norske leksikon\u003c\/a\u003e, it measured about 18.8 metres in height and 5.6 metres around the trunk.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eA sacred tree beside the Sognefjord\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eLocal tradition treated the Slinde birch as sacred. The owners of the farm poured a jug of beer over its roots every Christmas Eve, and neither axe nor knife was allowed to touch it. The tree was finally blown down in a storm in 1874.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eArtists including Johannes Flintoe, J.C. Dahl and Thomas Fearnley depicted the famous birch. Fearnley’s version became one of the principal works of Norwegian National Romanticism.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cblockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“On the Sognefjord, on Slindre Farm, is where one finds the proudest birch.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cfooter\u003eSource: Johan Sebastian Welhaven, \u003cem\u003eThe Sanctified Tree\u003c\/em\u003e (1844), quoted and translated by \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.nasjonalmuseet.no\/en\/collection\/object\/NG.M.00363\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"\u003eThe National Museum of Norway\u003c\/a\u003e.\u003c\/footer\u003e\n\u003c\/blockquote\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eNorwegian nature as a national symbol\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFearnley enlarged both the tree and the burial mound, giving the familiar landscape a heroic scale. The birch becomes a link between living nature, local folklore and the country’s distant past.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe motif was painted at a time when Norwegian artists were searching for landscapes that could express a distinct national identity. Here, the weathered tree carries that idea without losing the close observation of bark, branches and foliage.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eGlowing colour and quiet observers\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWarm yellow and green leaves stand against a deep blue sky, while the distant fjord and mountains open the composition behind the tree. The two quiet observers invite the viewer into the scene and underline the birch’s immense scale.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe National Museum connects these figures and the elevated mood of the landscape with the influence of Caspar David Friedrich, whose work Fearnley encountered during a visit to Dresden in 1838.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eFearnley’s final Norwegian study journey\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn 1839, Fearnley made his last major study journey through Norway in the company of Andreas Achenbach and Christian Breslauer. \u003cem\u003eOld Birch Tree at the Sognefjord\u003c\/em\u003e was created during this period and brings together direct study of nature with the ideas of National Romanticism.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eAbout Thomas Fearnley\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThomas Fearnley was born in Halden in 1802 and became one of Norway’s leading landscape painters. He studied in Christiania, Copenhagen, Stockholm and Dresden and travelled widely across Europe.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHis paintings combine close observation with dramatic light and carefully constructed scenery. Explore another mountain landscape in \u003ca href=\"\/products\/thomas-fearnley-landscape-wanderer-1830-art-poster\"\u003e\u003cem\u003eLandscape with a Wanderer\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eArtwork details\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003ctable\u003e\u003ctbody\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003cth\u003eArtist\u003c\/th\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eThomas Fearnley (1802–1842)\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003cth\u003eTitle\u003c\/th\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e\n\u003cem\u003eOld Birch Tree at the Sognefjord\u003c\/em\u003e (\u003cem\u003eSlindebirken\u003c\/em\u003e)\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003cth\u003eDate\u003c\/th\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e1839\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003cth\u003eMedium\u003c\/th\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eOil on canvas\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003cth\u003eOriginal dimensions\u003c\/th\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e54.5 × 66 cm\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003cth\u003eSubject\u003c\/th\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eThe Slinde birch at Hydneshaugen, Sogn\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003cth\u003eMovement\u003c\/th\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eNorwegian National Romanticism\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003cth\u003eCollection\u003c\/th\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eThe National Museum, Oslo\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003cth\u003eInventory number\u003c\/th\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eNG.M.00363\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003cth\u003eAcquisition\u003c\/th\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eTransferred in 1890 from the Royal Norwegian School of Arts and Crafts in Christiania\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003c\/tbody\u003e\u003c\/table\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eAvailable sizes\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003ctable\u003e\n\u003cthead\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003cth\u003eCentimetres\u003c\/th\u003e\n\u003cth\u003eInches\u003c\/th\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\u003c\/thead\u003e\n\u003ctbody\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e30 × 40 cm\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e12 × 16″\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e40 × 50 cm\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e16 × 20″\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e50 × 70 cm\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e20 × 28″\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e60 × 90 cm\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e24 × 36″\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e70 × 100 cm\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e28 × 40″\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003c\/tbody\u003e\n\u003c\/table\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eA historic Norwegian landscape for your home\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe luminous foliage, blue fjord and powerful tree create a distinctive focal point in a living room, study or hallway. The print works especially well with wood, wool and calm neutral colours.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eDiscover more landscapes in our \u003ca href=\"\/collections\/norway\"\u003eNorwegian art collection\u003c\/a\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eFrequently asked questions\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eWhere did the Slinde birch stand?\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eIt stood on the ancient burial mound Hydneshaugen at Indre Slinde beside the Sognefjord in Norway.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eWhy was the tree considered sacred?\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eLocal tradition protected the tree from axes and knives, and the farm owners poured beer over its roots each Christmas Eve.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eWhen was the painting created?\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eThomas Fearnley painted the work in 1839 during his final major study journey through Norway.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eWhere is the original painting?\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe original belongs to The National Museum in Oslo and has inventory number NG.M.00363.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eWhat paper is the poster printed on?\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eIt is printed on heavyweight 200 gsm quality paper with a matte, non-reflective surface.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eIs a frame included?\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eNo. The frame is not included, so you can choose one that suits the print and your interior.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Hygge by Scandinavia","offers":[{"title":"30x40 cm \/ 12x16″","offer_id":56171557257603,"sku":"aad8bff9-2257-429d-babe-796fd628b552","price":27.95,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"40x50 cm \/ 16x20″","offer_id":56171557290371,"sku":"3c1d131c-58b6-44cc-8531-87c4e94533d8","price":29.95,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"50x70 cm \/ 20x28″","offer_id":56171557323139,"sku":"720b5a26-968f-4637-81af-345a432228a0","price":39.95,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"60x90 cm \/ 24x36″","offer_id":57138962104707,"sku":"d63f75ec-8400-446a-9e97-04927c873b5b","price":44.95,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"70x100 cm \/ 28x40″","offer_id":56171557355907,"sku":"d683883f-140b-4de2-8ba2-9274f28db893","price":49.95,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0933\/8640\/8323\/files\/b61b7445-f624-42be-a65b-870fed3a36f7.webp?v=1784204520","url":"https:\/\/hyggebyscandinavia.com\/products\/thomas-fearnley-old-birch-tree-sognefjord-1839-art-poster","provider":"Hygge By Scandinavia","version":"1.0","type":"link"}