Rosemaling: Norway’s Traditional Folk Painting

By Kathryn Larson

An iconic aesthetic from Scandinavia, Norwegian rosemaling has graced many a Nordic-American household here in the United States. With its elegant swirling patterns, fantastical flowers and nostalgic color palette, it’s no wonder many people turn to it when wanting to feel a connection to their heritage. However, some of the details regarding the art form and how it got started may still feel elusive to many. So, let’s pull out the canvas of history and see if we can paint a picture for the story of Norwegian rosemaling.

The Origins of Rosemaling
The art of Norwegian rosemaling began in the 1700’s in the rural valleys and fjords of Norway. The word itself
– rosemaling – means “decorative painting” in Norwegian (rose meaning “to decorate,” and maling meaning “to paint”). While English speakers may associate the word “rose” with the flower of the same name, the term encompasses far more than just the one species of flower when it comes to rosemaling. During the 1700’s in Europe, many different styles of folk painting were being developed among the peasant classes. As printed books, patterns, panels and ceramics of high-end art styles (such as Renaissance paintings, baroque style, and rococo style) became more numerous in Norway, the common folk were exposed to such aesthetics more than ever before. While they may not have been able to afford such high-end craftsmanship themselves, the people of the rural areas took inspiration from them, and developed their own styles of painting to accommodate their means.

Rosemaling Styles
Over time, the various regions of Norway developed their own distinct styles of rosemaling. While certain styles today are more widely recognized than others (ex. Telemark, Hallingdal, Valdres and Os), there are a total of about sixteen different styles of rosemaling that were developed over the years. While each style is distinct from the others, they all contain some form of scrolling pattern, leaves and floral motifs; meant to evoke a sense of nature-inspired beauty and whimsy. 

List of Styles:

Aust Agder
Gudbrandsdal
Hallingdal
Hordaland
Møre og Romsdal
Nordfjord
Numedal
Os
Østerdalen
Rogaland
Sigdal og Eggedal
Sogn og Fjordane
Telemark
Trøndelag
Valdres
Vest Agder 

Materials and Techniques
Since rosemaling began in the peasant communities of Norway, the first artists often had to create their own
brushes and pigments, instead of buying ready-made materials in a store. For pigments, an artist may have
gone out into the forests, fields and fjords around their home to find various plants, berries, rocks, soils, clay,
etc. that contained the colors they wanted to use. They may have also taken food items, oils, herbs and spices
from their kitchens. The artist would then take these materials, crush them into a powder or paste, and
combine them with some sort of bonding agent (such as linseed oil, eggs, casein, etc.) to make their paints. An
artist often had to craft their own brushes as well, using animal hairs for the bristles.
When painting rosemaling, the two key stroke techniques were the C-stroke and the S-stroke. A bit like
building blocks, rosemaling artists would combine these strokes to build up their composition. Some of the
most popular surfaces for rosemaling artists to paint on were wooden household items (such as trays, bowls,
tools, trunks, etc.), decorative fixtures, furniture, ceilings, doors and walls.

Rosemaling Over the Years
Rosemaling thrived as part of the Norwegian cultural aesthetic until around the 1850’s. At that time, the
art form began to decline in both quantity and quality, and the influence of the Industrial Revolution also had
complicated effects on the artisan industry (ex. mass production, synthetically produced paints as opposed to
natural pigments, a confusion of styles, etc.). However, the artform saw a revival around the year 1900, as the
nation of Norway experienced a surge in patriotism and neo-romanticism of their cultural past. In the United
States, the tradition of rosemaling came with the Norwegian immigrants who arrived in the 19th and 20th
centuries, and the artform has continued to develop across the globe.