Decorative painting was practiced in Europe for centuries, but the style called Rosemaling is a unique Norwegian expression of it. It is also a relatively young artistic genre not taking off till the mid 1700’s. The reason for this has to do with the living conditions for the vast majority of Norwegians.

All through the Middle Ages and well into the 1700’s and beyond, the typical Norwegian farmhouse was a single-story log building with no windows. The main room, which was usually the only room, had a stone or earth floor with an open and slightly elevated fireplace in the middle and a smoke vent in the roof. As a result, the upper part of the room was usually black from soot and the only outside light came through the main entrance door or from the smoke vent. Color was introduced only on special occasions when tapestries were hung on the walls.

But in the 1700’s Norway’s economy began to improve and technical advances were introduced such as closed fireplaces and chimneys that allowed smoke to escape. New houses also had windows. After centuries of living in small, dark, smoke filled rooms, people finally had houses that let in light and fresh air.

The first wave of rose painting started in the south-eastern parts of the country. Here Norwegian artists trained in guilds and took their inspiration from the Baroque and Rococco styles used in Europe and popular with the Norwegian upper classes. They then travelled from county to county, painting the homes and furnishings of well-to do farmers for a commission of either money or room and board. But as these artists travelled farther away from the influence of the guilds, the creative urge took hold and they began to try out new motifs. Before long, many artists developed their own unique styles.

In addition, numerous rural amateur artists took up the paintbrush. They would not afford to hire a painter, but wanted this world of color along with the status of painted objects, in their homes. Having no formal training, they painted their own interpretations of what they had seen and in the process developed their own original patterns and designs.

In this way rosemaling moved across the country carrying with it a joyful world of color and flowing floral patterns, and in each region unique styles arose. Although rosemaling means rose painting, there are no obvious roses in any of the distinctive styles found throughout Norway. The designs are too stylized for any specific flower to be identified. And the term itself may have nothing to do with roses. Instead it probably originates from Norwegian dialects where words like rosut, rosete or rosa mean decorative or decorated.