Norway

Hilda Pertha

Two excerpts from Hilda Perth's journal, written in Norway in 1956, read:

"When I get back here in August, I shall take a complete rest from designing. For the first time in ten years, I have found a reason and inspiration to paint — not just 'potboilers,' but to really paint— so I hope to begin, the last few weeks here to coordinate my soul and mind, and some day I feel sure I’ll really paint again." (Larvik, Norway, July 20); "...I have become so inspired in this country, for the first time I realize that I will again paint and think in terms of art rather than only design. It will take time but at least I feel the basic change taking place within me." (Oslo, Norway, August 1) (Hilda Perth Archives, hildaperth.blogspot.com)

Hilda Pertha had established herself as a painter and internationally sought-after textile artist in Philadelphia and New York before leaving for an extended journey through Europe, Britain, and South America. One of her stops was Norway, whose sweeping, dramatic landscapes remained an inspiration to her throughout her career. Though her early work was informed by classical training and commercial endeavors - born out of a desire to support herself through the Depression and Second World War - by the 1950s she was seriously exploring abstraction, inspired in part by her travels.

In "Norway," the crossover from representational to non-objective style can be seen in her desire to depict a landscape without the confines of realism. Earth-toned islands float in a black sea, as if emerging from hibernation.