King Oscar I and Queen Joséphine of Sweden and Norway commissioned Oscarshall, and the Danish architect Johan Henrik Nebelong designed it. It was built from 1847 to 1852 on the Frognerkilen fjord at Bygdøy, Oslo. The article calls it one of the finest examples of neo-Gothic architecture in Norway and an important example of the National Romantic style. It is a white castle with one tall tower, set in a park.
Norwegian artists and artisans built and decorated the interior. Joachim Frich, Adolph Tidemand and Hans Gude painted the dining hall walls, and the drawing room evokes an old Norwegian guildhall.
King Carl IV sold the palace to the Norwegian state in 1863, and King Oscar II opened it as a museum in 1881. A renovation from 2005 to 2009 returned its colors and furniture to their 1859 style.
Comments