Rosemaling

Rosemaling began in rural Norway in the early eighteenth century, when baroque and rococo decoration filtering out from churches and manor houses was taken up by travelling painters and applied to farm interiors, chests, cupboards, bowls and beams. It developed distinct regional styles: Telemark work is asymmetrical with flowing scrolls and transparent glazing; Hallingdal uses stronger colours and denser symmetrical flowers; Rogaland, Gudbrandsdalen and Setesdal each have their own conventions. The word means rose painting, though the flowers are usually invented rather than botanical. It faded in the nineteenth century, was revived through folk museums and craft schools, and remains taught, with Norwegian emigrants having carried it to the American Midwest.

What you actually see

• The Telemark style - asymmetrical scrolling with transparent glazes.
• The Hallingdal style - denser, more symmetrical flowers in strong colour.
• The painted interiors - decorated walls, beams and furniture in farm buildings.
• The chests and bowls - portable objects carrying dated painted work.

When to go

Year-round; folk museums display it in every season, and Telemark and Hallingdal workshops run courses mainly in summer. The Norsk Folkemuseum and Maihaugen hold large collections.

Honest expectations

Much of what is sold as rosemaling in souvenir shops is printed or mass-produced. Historic examples are in museums rather than in situ in most cases. The regional distinctions matter to specialists and are hard for visitors to read.

Nearby

Telemark and Hallingdal museums hold the core collections; Maihaugen and the Norsk Folkemuseum have major holdings.