St. Hans's Bonfire by the Beach (St. Hans Festival) by Nikolai Astrup

St. Hans's Bonfire by the Beach (St. Hans Festival) - Nikolai Astrup - Oil Painting

About This Piece

Upgrade your walls with St. Hans's Bonfire by the Beach (St. Hans Festival) - Nikolai Astrup - Oil Painting. Every seascape reproduction is painted entirely by hand, so the surface carries the depth and variation of an original oil painting rather than the flatness of a digital canvas print.

The Story Behind the Painting

circa 1924
Oil on canvas
80 x 100 cm (31 1/2 x 39 1/4 in.)

The annual celebration of St. Hans' festival throughout Norway over mid-summer held a particular fascination for Astrup. The occasion not only reaffirmed contemporary Norway's links with its folkloric past, a theme that lies at the heart of Astrup's work, but presented to him a ritual of pagan origin which as the son of a pastor he had been forbidden to participate in.

As an artist, however, he returned to the subject on many occasions, revelling in the glory of the bonfire and the primal forces it evoked. Significantly, and perhaps because of his father's disapproval of the ritual, Astrup invariably depicted the scene from afar, as viewed by a detached onlooker rather than a participant. The effect is to heighten the sense of mystery and sheer devilishness of the event, the tiny troll-like figures who do take part being dwarfed by the frenzy of the fire, and the billowing smoke that sullies the clean night air.

Astrup's obsession with this ritual linking Norway to its roots, recalls Paul Gauguin's similiar fascination with the primordial force of fire, a theme that he explored both in Brittany and in Tahiti.

Every hand painted oil painting in this seascape series is finished on artist-grade canvas and checked against the original before it leaves the studio.

100% Hand Painted on Canvas

Each canvas is painted entirely by hand with professional oil paints on artist-grade cotton canvas. No printing, giclée, or digital imaging is used at any stage, so the surface keeps the slight relief and color variation of real brushwork.

What Is Included

• A true oil-on-canvas painting produced manually by our artists — not a mass-produced print.
• Edges include an additional 2-inch blank allowance, ideal for gallery wrapping or framing.
• Sold studio-direct and shipped worldwide, with no intermediary markup.
• Available canvas sizes for this hand painted oil painting: 20 X 24 in, 24 X 36 in, 30 X 40 in, 36 X 48 in, 48 X 72 in.
• Any size you need can be produced — just tell us your preferred dimensions.
• Affordable delivery options via DHL, UPS, FedEx, USPS and more.
• Free canvas stretching on wooden stretcher bars; custom framing available on request.
• Every order includes a pre-shipment digital preview for your approval.

Styling & Placement

This seascape oil painting wall decor is equally at home in a residence, a boutique hotel, or a professional office. Its elegant character makes it a safe, distinctive gift for anyone furnishing an entryway.

Shipping & Guarantee