The Mocking Mural in Oslo City Hall

Oslo city hall (Rådhuset) is one of the countries most visited tourist sites, famous for hosting the annual Nobel Peace Prize ceremony. However, few make it to the richly decorated second floor.

In 1937-8, Artist Willi Midelfart was commissioned to create Det gror, a monumental fresco for the city hall’s banquet hall in the second floor. Inspired by summer life at Holmsbu as well as artist Edvard Munch, it depicts families swimming, playing, and exploring nature.

Originally, there was only one door, namely the one on the left. Midway through the work, the architect decided to add a matching door on the right for aesthetic reasons. Furious, Midelfart included in his painting a small boy pointing at the new doorway and sticking out his tongue, an indirect way of showing his distaste of the new door.

To add insult to injury, the matching door on the right is not even usable: walking past the next room (the kitchen) one sees that the rightmost door is bricked up. 

Today the painting is a stark reminder to never get between an artist and his canvas.