Norway’s development culture was flourishing here from at least the ninth century. Findings from burial sites indicate that the Vikings were great shipbuilders with a strongly developed artistic tradition represented in crafts, woodcarving and jewelers. Significantly, these skills were also passed on to those parts of Europe that they occupied. The beautifully decorated stave churches built after Christianity was introduced into Norway also underscore the artistic abilities of the Norwegian people. The Gothic cathedral of Trondheim, known as Nidarosdomen, represents a golden age of Norwegian cultural development. It was the last monument to be erected before the dark era in which nearly half the population was wiped out by bubonic plague and Norway ceased to be an independent state.
As a result, when it was finally reinstated as an independent nation, Norway had relatively little of the cultural life so typical of other European capitals during the 19th century. However, a vigorous culture was developing in the regions, embracing architecture, decorative arts and music and folk tales. Furthermore, when Romanticism experienced its breakthrough in Europe, Norwegian artists found ready inspiration in the breathtaking landscapes of their motherland. Subsequently the second half of the 19th century witnessed a new era of rich artistic development and the work of Henrik Ibsen, alongside the paintings of Edward Munch, became a part of international cultural history. During the course of the 20th century Norway, like many other countries, was affected by many foreign (and particularly since World War II, American) cultural influences. Norway’s development cultures, taking place against a background of widespread determination to uphold and support the uniqueness of Norwegian culture, has created an interesting mixed expression in contemporary Norwegian artistic life.
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