“On behalf of the Storting, I would like to convey my warmest congratulations to your Majesties the King and Queen. It is a great pleasure for me to present the Storting’s gift on this occasion,” said the President of the Storting, Olemic Thommessen.

See picture of the painting below.

Symbolic event

The painting depicts King Olav V’s ceremonial swearing of the oath of allegiance in the Storting in 1958. Because the Storting did not meet in the autumn of 1957, the oath was first taken in the Council of State and then repeated solemnly at the opening of the Storting on 20 January 1958. The Storting Chamber was then undergoing reconstruction, so the ceremony was held in the Lagting Chamber.

“The painting captures a very special moment in our country’s history,” said Mr Thommessen. “Here we see the royal succession being carried out, and I think the painting illustrates very well the symbolism of the event.”

Invited to compete

The artist behind the painting is Kira Wager. She was awarded a contract for the assignment after winning a closed competition with five other artists.

The competition jury based its recommendation on such factors as Wager’s artistic method, the portrait’s likeness and the painting’s compatibility with the rest of the collection. The fact that the painting makes clear references to 1958 in today’s artistic idiom also helped convince the jury.

A complete collection

The competition also extended to a parallel work. Ms Wager’s painting will be exhibited in the Storting together with Harald Dal’s painting of King Haakon’s oath-taking ceremony in 1905 and Anne Vistven’s painting of King Harald’s in 1991.

“With Kira Wager’s painting of King Olav’s ceremonial oath in 1958, the series of paintings of oath ceremonies is complete. I am pleased that there are now three paintings featuring the ceremonial oaths in the Storting. Together they form a superb line though our country’s history,” said Mr Thommessen.

A simple unveiling ceremony will be held in the Storting in the autumn.

Painting by Kira Wager of King Olav V’s oath-taking ceremony in the Storting in 1958. Photo: Storting.