Nationality: Norwegian

Birthdate: November 4, 1804

Date of Death: February 5, 1887

GMC Ranking:

Peder Balke is one of the most important Norwegian painters of the 1800s. His main education took place in Oslo, Stockholm and Dresden, but he also studied in Copenhagen in 1830, where he met many of the painters of the Danish Golden Age.

His previous experience as a decoration painter is evident in an unconventional, free approach that is both very decorative and highly expressive. His artistic effects were unheard of at the time and placed him far ahead of his contemporaries. His unique artistic background may also play a role in his characteristic use of a very limited colour scale dominated by grey, white and brown.