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on him that Balke continued topaint small scenes for pleasure. Suchworks, including theGallery’s Tempest, are nowwidely regarded as highly original improvisations of unequalled virtuosity and innovation. Withdepictions of stormy seas, toweringglaciers and threatening skies, themajority of whichhave never been seenbefore in theUK, Peder Balke reveals and celebrates thework of an artist who is only nowbeing recognised as one of the forerunners ofmodernism. TheNational Gallery owns just onepaintingbyPeder Balke: The Tempest (about 1862), whichwas generously presented to theGallery in2010byDanny andGryKatz. Peder Balke (1804-1887) is one of themost original painters of 19th-centuryScandinavia. Bornon theNorwegian island of Helgøya (in LakeMjøsa, EasternNorway), he attended art school inChristiania (nowOslo) for two years from 1827 andbefore studyingwithpainters inStockholm (where he was taught by the landscapepainter JohannFahlkrantz, professor at the art academy) andDresden (where he studiedwith the leadingNorwegian, JohanChristianDahl, and alsogot to know the art of Caspar DavidFriedrich). SadlyBalke’s lack of commercial success, aswell as his misfortunes in social projects, forced him to abandon his career as apainter; however his later endeavours as aproperty developer of housing for thepoor, and as apolitician, are fascinating and important in their own right. Nevertheless, the small scenes he thenpainted for his ownpleasure are now recognised as highly original improvisations: they aremore experimental –withBalke usingbrushwork or evenhis hands to suggest seascapes– and extraordinarily prescient of later expressionism. Balkewas drawn to the landscape of Norway; hewalked acrossmuchof its lower regions and, decisively, in 1832 travelledby ship to theNorthCape, a rugged and largely inaccessible area of the country. There he foundbleak and original landscapemotifswhich allowed him todefine his highly individual painting style. He continued to explore thesemotifs in increasingly austere images throughout his career. In 1845he headed toLondon and toParis, where he received amajor commission fromKingof the French, Louis-Philippe for northernNorwegian scenes. The 1848 Revolution and the oustingof the king saw the commission abandoned. Today, 28 sketches for it remain in the Louvre. By 1850Balkewas back inChristiania, although his artistic career was foundering andhedevotedmore time topolitics andproperty. By about 1860his paintings –for themost part small, improvisational oils onpanel–weremadeprimarily for his own amusement. Hedied in 1887; his art all but forgotten, until now. … thepen cannot describe the illustrious and overwhelming impression, which the opulent beauties of nature and locations delivered to the eye and themind – an impression, that not only caughtme in the flushof themoment, but alsohad a significant influence ontomywhole future life, as I never, not in a foreign country nor anywhere else inour country, had the opportunity to contemplate something so impressive and inspiring aswhat I have seenon this Finnmark- journey Peder Balke Peder Balke CaboNorte / NorthCape c. 1840 Colecciónprivada/ Privatecollection ©Foto/ Photo ThomasWiderberg, Oslo 135