A life shaped by the landscape
Peder Cappelen Thurmann began his training in 1854 at the Royal Drawing School in Christiania, studying under Joachim Frich. He was born in Halden to a pastor, Carl Fredrik Thurmann, and Ottilia Christine née Ottesen. His path eventually led him away from Norway to the Kunstakademie Düsseldorf, where he remained enrolled from 1856 to 1859. During these years, he learned from Joseph Wintergerst and Hans Fredrik Gude.
His travels took him through Munich, Bavaria, and Italy, as well as Austria, Denmark, and Germany. These movements across Europe brought different light and terrain into his view. He returned to Christiania in 1869, settling into a life that balanced painting with teaching. He held positions at the Royal Drawing School and later at a private school founded by Johan Fredrik Eckersberg.
The brush and the terrain
His work often focused on the Norwegian landscape. In pieces like Skøyter på fjorden, Akershus from 1869, he captured specific moments of local life using oil on canvas. He used a loose and expressive brushwork that gave movement to the sky and foliage. His palette frequently relied on muted shades of gray, brown, and green to depict untamed environments.
Some of his paintings show a quiet interaction between people and nature:
- Norsk landskap med mann og kvinne til hest (1868)
- Den gamle Lysakerbroen (1860s)
- A landscape held in the National Museum, Stockholm, featuring rugged peaks and swirling clouds
Later years and legacy
Thurmann spent much of his later career as a teacher. He served as a senior teacher at the Royal school from 1884 until 1912. His teaching influenced others, including Hans Heyerdahl. He lived through a period of significant change in Norway, maintaining his connection to the land through his observations of mountains, rivers, and settlements.
He died in Christiania in 1919. His family included eight children with his wife, Anna Maria Catharina Enzinger. His works remain in collections such as the Oslo Museum and the Nationalmuseum in Stockholm.
