Dahl, Johan Christian

Dahl, Johan Christian (b Bergen, 24 Feb. 1788; d Dresden, 14 Oct. 1857).
Norwegian landscape painter, active mainly in Dresden, where he became a professor at the Academy in 1824. In spite of his long residency in Germany, he took his subjects mainly from his native country and began its tradition of landscape painting—he is often called the discoverer of the Norwegian landscape. He was a friend of Friedrich and he shared with him a feeling for Romantic grandeur in nature, although Dahl's work does not have the mystical element found in Friedrich. Dahl often returned to Norway, and his strong patriotic feelings were expressed not only in his paintings, but also in his helping to found (1837) the National Gallery in Christiania (now Oslo), to which he presented his own impressive art collection.