Scandinavian Home: Art And Identity, 1880-1920

A wide-ranging study of the intertwined notions of home and homeland that were central to the art and material culture of Denmark, Norway, Sweden, and Finland in the second half of the nineteenth century. The arts played a crucial role in reinforcing a shared sense of belonging amongst Nordic countries as they strove to identify and celebrate authentic local and national identities; home was a central metaphor in the nation building activities of each country. The links between land, landscape, handicraft and domestic dwellings as dimensions of home are embedded in this survey of the extensive David and Sue Werner Collection of Scandinavian art, presented to the public for the first time. Encompassing an impressive range of almost 150 paintings, drawings, furniture, textiles, glass, metalworks, ceramics and works on paper, highlights include rare tapestries and a wooden cabinet by the Norwegian artist Gerhard Munthe, Finnish ceramics by Willy Finch, landscape paintings by Hilma af Klint, Akseli Gallen-Kallela, Gustav Fjaestad and Pekka Halonen, and anonymous functional objects by outstanding handicraft artists covering embroidery, metalwork and wooden implements. SELLING POINTS: . Richly illustrated book brings the renowned David and Sue Werner Collection of Scandinavian art into public view. . Quality and range of painting, drawing, furniture, textiles, glass, metalwork, ceramics, and works on paper is extraordinary. . A strong historical approach, exploring the meaning and uses of history and myth in nation-building, and examining the embrace of youth as a metaphor of national efflorescence, ensures wider trade appeal. 164 colour illustrations