The paintings from Mine 2B

In 1956, coal miner Martin Barlund painted a frieze on a wall in Mine 2b. The six images were painted on cement panels lining the tunnel outside the mine’s break room. A few years after the mine was closed, the paintings were retrieved and put in storage until being put on display in the entrance to the pig barn that housed Svalbard Museum at that time. They are still there.

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The frieze tells the tale of what it was like to go to Spitsbergen as a miner. It begins with a picture of the miner sitting rather dejectedly on the quay in Harstad, ready for departure; his wife stands weeping at his side. They know it may be a year before they see each other again.

The next four paintings show life underground. The mine train heading into the mine, construction of reinforcements and props, and a nasty train accident with derailed cars and locomotive.

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The series ends with a picture where one half shows a man running a drill while another man hunches near the wall, apparently lost in thought. Maybe it is his daydream we see in the other half of the picture, where a pair of lovers are sitting on a bench watching the sun go down over mainland Norway.

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Bildet er hentet fra DigitaltMuseum. Se digitaltmuseum.no/021025970459

Martin Barlund lived in Svalbard for many years and was described as a Renaissance man. Among other things, he built what is considered Svalbard’s first snowmobile, and constructed a scraper for use in the mine. He also drew cartoons for Svalbardposten for several years.