Rosemaling Styles

Rosemaling is the decorative folk art of Norway. Rosemaling dates back for hundreds of years and has many distinctive styles. It constitutes colorful floral patterns, that are hand painted and adorn many items, from furniture to dinner ware. The topography of Norway is rugged and has many fjords, making transportation and communication very difficult. Individual styles therefore, tended to be very different. Four of these distinctive styles are Telemark, Rogaland, Valdres and Hallingdal. While the four are the most popular, some others are Vest Agder, Aust Agder, Romsdal, Gudbransdalen, Os, Rococo and Numdal. There are many Rosemaling styles and some of the lesser know ones are a combination of the styles mentioned here. The explanations given are the over all look of the design. If a more concentrated study is desired please see Nils Ellingsgard book "Norwegian Rose Painting" available through Vesterheim Norwegian American Museum. Many of the styles are displayed on these pages, with Jurene's own unique interpretation.