Plague Dangers Across the Country

Poster with the painting Pestilence sweeps the land by Theodor Kittelsen from 1904 (English title: She covers the whole country).

In the picture we see a female personification of the plague. plague, who in Norwegian folklore spreads disease and death, is portrayed as a ghostly figure in sweeping clothes, equipped with a scythe or rake, which she uses to "cleanse" the countryside of life.

With a dark and symbolic atmosphere, Kittelsen manages to capture the horror of the plague's progress, especially during the historic plague outbreaks that hit Norway. His work reflects both folk beliefs and the existential fear of death and disease that characterized many societies in the Middle Ages.

Theodor Kittelsen is a Norwegian artist who, like the Swedish John Bauer, is known for his fairytale motifs with goblins and princesses. His works are still iconic in many Nordic homes, but even though he is celebrated as a national artist in Norway, he is hardly known outside of Scandinavia.

Artist: Theodor Kittelsen | Created: 1904 | Publisher: Nasjonalmuseet/ Børre Høstland | Item ID: NG.K&H.B.00061 | Copyright: CC-BY

Frame not included.

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