Thore Heramb

Born in Kristiania, now Oslo, Thore Heramb (1916–2014) was a Norwegian painter whose career combined an early presence in exhibitions with decorative commissions and a body of work described as colourist. He made his debut at Oslo’s Høstutstillingen in 1938, then held his first solo exhibition at Kunstnerforbundet in 1943.

The distinctions he received in the following years mark this period: Schäffers legat in 1946, Houens legat in 1947 and Conrad Mohrs stip. in 1951. Between 1947 and 1948, he created the decorations for Aker Town Hall, Akers herredshus; the building includes, among other things, his Fossen motif, conceived with reference to the Akerselva, the watercourse that runs through Oslo. Sources characterise his visual language through references to Impressionism and Cubism, and describe him as a colourist; his compositions often take the form of abstract landscapes.

Works cited include Rød figur i blå sofa, a painting from 1950, and Palestina-trio, a triptych made between 1973 and 1979: these titles attest to the diversity of formats documented in his work. The Norwegian Museum of Contemporary Art acquired twenty of his works. Heramb is also represented at the National Gallery in Oslo, Bergen Billedgalleri, Trondheim Kunstmuseum, Lillehammer Kunstmuseum and Rogaland Kunstmuseum. His works are also held in collections outside Norway, notably at the National Gallery of Denmark, the Gothenburg Museum of Art and the Stockholm City Museum.

In 1987, he took part in an exhibition at Kunstsalon Wolfsberg in Zurich, entitled Norwegische Künstler – Malereien, Skulpturen, Grafiken and on view from November to December.

Works recorded at auction

Germann

Lange skygge (Langer Schatten), 1986

Oil on canvas

Original catalogue wording

Lange skygge (Langer Schatten), 1986
Öl auf Leinwand.

Date to be documented

Catalogue reference — sale not confirmed

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