An exciting introduction to the life and artistic work of the innovative Norwegian painter, graphic artist, and gardener Nikolai Astrup (1880–1928), who is known for his vividly colored paintings and woodcuts of his local landscape. Astrup received formal artistic training in Kristiania (now Oslo), Germany, and Paris, but later contradicted certain aspects of his education, such as the traditional conventions of visual perspective. He rejected metropolitan cultural centers in favor of his rural home in western Norway, where he produced a remarkable body of work. This edition brings Astrup's life and work to a North American audience, identifying him within the history and culture of Norway and the art of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. His gardening achievements, in the context of his art, at the farm where he lived, are also explored. The beautiful illustrations in the book highlight the intensity of Astrup's palette, the fresh nature of his prints, and the magical realism of his landscapes, inspired by folklore and local customs.