‘Landscapes and Legends of Norway’ at WCMFA

There was something about the mountains and breathtaking beauty of Norway that spoke to the soul of Pittsburgh-born artist William H. Singer Jr. Washington County Museum of Fine Arts’ latest exhibition, “Landscapes and Legends of Norway: William H. Singer & His Contemporaries,” celebrates Singer’s longtime love affair with the Nordic country. The exhibition runs May 27 to Sept. 17.

Before Singer and his wife, Hagerstown native Anna Brugh-Singer, founded the Washington County Museum of Fine Arts in 1931, they had already made Norway their home.

Selected from the museum’s permanent collection, “Landscapes and Legends” captures the spirit and magnificence of Norway’s natural beauty. The exhibition includes paintings, drawings and prints of Norwegian landscapes, myths and people by Singer as well as his contemporaries, including Jacob Dooijewaard, Frank Morse-Rummel and Martin Borgord. “Landscapes and Legends” explores how these artists responded to nature and Norwegian culture in myriad ways.

“We’re having fun with this show,” said WCMFA director Sarah Hall. “Singer’s Norwegian landscapes are delightful, and the Norse legends explored in the work of Frank Morse-Rummel are inspiring our upcoming Viking Day, as well as our Little Vikings-themed summer camp.”

This exhibition places the artists in their broad cultural and historical context by displaying archival materials, including catalogues, letters, newspaper articles and photographs. Visitors will have the opportunity to view some of William Singer’s delicately rendered and seldom-seen pastels.

WHO WAS WILLIAM SINGER?

Born in 1868 to a prominent Pittsburgh steel family, Singer had an early

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