Os Rosemaling

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Os rosemaling is a colorful branch of Norwegian decorative painting associated with the area near Bergen. Flower forms play a prominent role, making the arrangement feel lively even before you begin following the finer lines between the blossoms.

A tradition passed through workshops

The history of Os painting is closely connected with neighboring Samnanger. Nils Midthus, born Nils Tveiterås in 1795, came from a painting family there. His teaching helped shape the next generation, including Ola Lien Midtbø, born in 1832, and his own son Annanias Tveit, born in 1847.

In 1872, Annanias established a workshop at Tveit in Hegglandsdalen. The local historical society’s account describes apprentices learning there over a period of years. This gives the tradition a very human setting: skills passed from one person to another through repeated work.

From objects to a working environment

A photograph preserved by the University of Bergen shows an Os rosemaling workshop and is dated to the period 1895–1910. It adds another kind of evidence to the surviving painted objects. We can think not only about finished ornament, but also about the workspace in which it was produced.

Dates attached to workshops and photographs help place the tradition in time. They do not mean that all Os designs were made by the same family or remained unchanged.

Enjoying the color

When looking at an Os-inspired pattern, begin with the flowers as a group. Notice which colors repeat, which blossoms face outward, and where the background gives the ornament room to breathe. Bright accents can be especially effective when they are balanced by simpler areas.

The Os-themed clock below is a contemporary interpretation. Its floral arrangement draws attention to color and repetition while adapting the theme to a round clock face.