On Wednesday 3 February, Her Majesty the Queen of Norway visited Dulwich Picture Gallery to officially open the major new exhibition Nikolai Astrup (1880-1928): Painting Norway.

In her opening speech, HM Queen Sonja, said:

'Nikolai Astrup has contributed significantly to shaping our understanding of Norway. In that sense, the title of this exhibition is indeed fitting: Nikolai Astrup. Painting Norway. He transformed his own, private visions of the natural environment into scenes of universal relevance...Astrup visited London in 1908, with the main aim of studying the paintings of John Constable, an artist he admired greatly. In a sense, we could say that he has now returned, with the fruits of his studies.'

Following the tour, HM Queen Sonja joined nearly 100 guests from Norway for dinner in the impressive surroundings of the Gallery's enfilade.

One of the most renowned Norwegian artists, Astrup's work transforms the rugged Norwegian landscape into a mythical, living entity. Exploring the luscious, colourful paintings and radical innovation in printmaking that defined the Norwegian artist's career, the exhibition will bring over 90 oil paintings and prints, including works from private collections never exhibited before, to London.

Nikolai Astrup (1880-1928): Painting Norway opens to the public on Friday 5 February and runs until 15 May 2016. It is the first major show of the artist outside of Norway and brings together over 90 works exploring the luscious, colourful paintings and radical innovation in printmaking that defined Astrup's career. For more details visit the website.