Peder Balke (1804-1887) is one of the most outstanding artists of Northern European Romanticism.Born in the inland of Norway, Balke was originally trained as a house painter; he was considered a craftsman, as opposed to a fine artist. However, his talent was recognized and Balke went to Oslo. Later, he took instruction from landscape painter Carl Johan Fahlcrantz in Stockholm, and his famous fellow Norwegian, Johan Christian Dahl in Dresden. Here, Balke also got in touch with the art and ideas of German Romanticism and encountered the leading painter Caspar David Friedrich and his circle.An event of great importance to Balke's artistic development was a large commission from king Louis Philippe of France. It was probably at this period that Balke started to develop his own, highly experimental technique for rendering his impressions of the Northern nature.The book will consist of two parts. The first part will bring a long essay on Peder Balke's life and works, concentrating on the art