ASTA NØRREGAARD

Asta Nørregaard began her training at an art school for women in Oslo, where she met Harriet Backer. Later she studied in Germany with the Norwegian painter Eilif Peterssen. Nørregaard lived in Paris from 1879 to 1884, where she became known for her portraits. She exhibited at the Salon in 1881 and 1882. She returned to Norway in 1885 but traveled widely, painting portraits for several illustrious people including Edvard Munch and King Haakon VII. During that time she also participated in numerous exhibitions, including the 1889 Exposition Universelle. In 1920, she was awarded the Gold Medal of Merit from the king of Norway for her achievements in the arts.

A fully illustrated catalogue, Women Artists in Paris, 1850–1900, has been published by the American Federation of Arts and Yale University Press. Along with an art-historical overview by curator Laurence Madeline, the catalogue includes essays by Jane R. Becker, collections management associate, Metropolitan Museum of Art; Richard Kendall, former curator at large, Clark Art Institute; Bridget Alsdorf, associate professor, History of Art, Princeton University; and Vibeke Hansen, curator, Nasjonalmuseet, Oslo.