Portal de Periódicos da CAPES

Vad berättar Midvinterblot?

1995; Taylor & Francis; Volume: 64; Issue: 1 Linguagem: Inglês

10.1080/00233609508604369

1651-2294

Per Bjurström,

Art, Politics, and Modernism

Summary Midvinterblot Midwinter Sacrifice, meant to be the final element in Carl Larsson's decoration of the Na‐tionalmuseum, shows the tragedy of a prehistoric Swedish king who, according to Snorre Sturlasson, was sacrificed for his people. The committee decided, however, not to recommend the execution of the picture which resulted in one of the most heated debates in the history of Swedish art. The conservative minister of Educational Affairs, K. G. Westman, was not happy with the decision and in 1915 called for pronouncements from artists and art historians, but Carl Larsson resolved the problem for him by resigning his commission. Nevertheless he executed the picture in oil on can‐vas and it has been exhibited on the space once reserved for it in 1916, 1925–1931 and from 1992, by mere chance (?) periods of increasing chauvinism. While Carl Larsson in his first studies for the picture followed Snorre rather closely he succesively changed the iconography introducing a lapp shaman as the counter‐part of the king as well as lapp girls performing a wild and “primitive” dance, a dramatic contrast to the stoic reaction of The Swedish chiefs. Lapps were, as jews, considered dangerous for the racial health of the nation by conservatives in the 1910s and thus the picture had gained a hidden political message, appreciated by the Swedish nazis in 1932 but, by some reason, not noticed by art his‐torians. At last the author argues for the picture beeing once again removed from its position in the main hall of the Nationalmuseum.