“Brooklyn Dawn” – A Painting with a Remarkable History

This painting is far more than just a cityscape — it is a true piece of living history.

Created by Norwegian artist Kristian Larsen in 1939, this evocative depiction of houses in Brooklyn carries with it a story of survival, war, and rebirth. At the time, Larsen was working aboard an oil tanker crossing the Atlantic en route to Europe. During the voyage, the ship was attacked by German torpedoes — an early and brutal signal of the Second World War. The vessel was destroyed, and Larsen was thrown into the ocean, severely injured, with one lung filled with oil.

Against all odds, he was rescued and brought ashore in Brooklyn, New York. When he awoke in the hospital, still weak and disoriented, the very first thing he saw through the window were the buildings that would become the subject of this painting. That view — ordinary to most — became a symbol of life, survival, and the strange beauty found in the aftermath of trauma.

With careful brushstrokes and a deeply emotional palette, Larsen recreated the scene from memory. The quiet strength of the Brooklyn homes — sturdy, sunlit, and still — contrasts with the chaos he had just escaped. In this way, the painting is both a tribute to the fragility of life and the resilience of the human spirit.

Vintage condition.

Framed size: 55 x 39.5cm / 21,6 x 15,5in

Technique: Oil on board

Origin: Norwegian artist Kristian Larsen 1939