Peder Balke – The Spell of the Arctic

The Norwegian artist Peder Balke (1804–1887) was one of the most exciting proponents of Romantic painting from Northern Europe. In 1832, he travelled to the northernmost areas of Norway, a journey which provided him with inspiration for the rest of his life. Balke depicted the Arctic landscape — mountains, the midnight sun and the northern lights. The paintings conjured up a world known by few, even today, and which is threatened by climate change.

  • 21.9.2023–14.1.2024
1st floor
Tickets: with a museum ticket
Peder Balke (1804–1887): Nordkapp (detail), 1848. The Gundersen Collection, Oslo. Photo: Morten Heden Aamot / The Gundersen Collection.

The first monographic Peder Balke exhibition in Finland is a rich overview of the artist’s life and work. It consists of almost 50 paintings by Balke, as well as works by other contemporary artists from Norwegian and Swedish collections. The exhibition is a collaboration with the Nordic Institute of Art, and is curated by the Institute’s director Knut Ljøgodt, PhD, and the Director of the Sinebrychoff Art Museum, Kirsi Eskelinen, PhD.