#Scandinavia

Art History 101

The Complicated History of Norse Mythology in Art

Literally speaking, mythology is an old-school kind of storytelling. “Mythos” is a Greek word for “story” while “logia” means...

Lana Pajdas 17 April 2024

Artist Stories

The Quiet Life in Interiors of Vilhelm Hammershøi

Vilhelm Hammershøi (1864-1916) was a Danish painter known for poetic, subdued portraits and simple interiors, always muted in tone. His works are...

Zuzanna Stańska 3 April 2024

Expressionism

The Amazing Midnight Sun in Paintings: Edvard Munch’s Summer Nights

Edvard Munch was fascinated by the Norwegian summer light which evokes both tranquillity and anxiety, two feelings that Munch tried to capture in his...

Magda Michalska 23 March 2024

Photography

5 Swedish Pioneering Female Photographers You Should Know

Mainstream history often overlooks women’s contributions. That’s why the fact that in Scandinavian countries, women took up photography as a...

Europeana 22 March 2024

Hanna Hirsch-Pauli, Friends, 1900-1907, Nationalmuseum, Stockholm, Sweden. Detail.  Women Artists

Hanna Hirsch-Pauli: Friendship Goals and Feminism in the 19th-Century Stockholm

Swedish artist Hanna Hirsch-Pauli (1864-1940) is best known for her genre scenes and portraits. She studied at the painting school of August...

Europeana 13 February 2024

Women Artists

Hilma af Klint: Pioneer of Abstract Art

Who invented abstract art? The advent of abstraction has historically been attributed to male artists. However, Hilma af Klint, a Swedish painter and...

Emily Snow 1 February 2024

Photography

Edvard Munch’s Life in Photos

Naturally, Edvard Munch is best known for his paintings. However, he was also one of the first of the generation of painters who dabbled in amateur...

Zuzanna Stańska 22 January 2024

Expressionism

The Frieze of Life by Edvard Munch

By 1902, Edvard Munch’s life had seen a pattern of chaos within his professional life, his health, and his love life. While his life had become...

Wendy Gray 12 December 2023

Expressionism

Edvard Munch and His Portrayals of Death

“Illness, madness and death were the black angels that watched over my cradle and have since followed me through life,” Munch wrote in his notes,...

Zuzanna Stańska 12 December 2023

Expressionism

The Mysterious Street from Edvard Munch’s The Scream

The Scream by Edvard Munch is one of the most famous paintings in the world. It’s pretty obvious why – its expression and the way the pain and...

Zuzanna Stańska 12 December 2023

Art State of Mind

The Art of Wellbeing: Hygge Found in Masterpieces

In 2016, The Collins English Dictionary named “hygge” the runner-up word of the year. Since then, at least 20 books have been published on the...

Ledys Chemin 28 November 2023

Johan Thomas Lundbye, View from Kitnæs on Roskilde Fjord, 1843, National Gallery, Copenhagen, Denmark. Detail. Masterpiece Stories

Masterpiece Story: View from Kitnæs on Roskilde Fjord by Johan Thomas Lundbye

View from Kitnæs on Roskilde Fjord by Johan Thomas Lundbye is a masterpiece of 19th century Danish landscape painting. It set a new standard for the...

James W Singer 5 November 2023