Ett gemensamt landskap : Om platsens betydelse för Aron Jerndahl och Ernst Söderberg på Hvalsta gård

Sammanfattning

This thesis examines how the rural environment of Hvalsta gård in Södermanland may be understood as a formative artistic setting for Aron Jerndahl and Ernst Söderberg during the early twentieth century. It explores how a shared physical and cultural setting may have contributed to their respective artistic expressions, despite differences in generation and artistic approach. The analysis is based on selected paintings and objects connected to the site. The theoretical framework draws on Panofsky’s iconographic method, Barthes’ semiotics and Yi-Fu Tuan’s concept of place. In the absence of written sources documenting direct interaction between the artists, the study relies on visual analysis and contextual interpretation. The results show that both artists engage with similar themes, including everyday life, physical presence and the relationship between human and environment. These similarities are best understood as emerging from a shared lived environment rather than from direct artistic influence. At the same time, clear differences in artistic approach demonstrate how the same context can give rise to distinct visual expressions. The thesis argues that Hvalsta gård can be understood as an informal rural artistic environment that enabled two parallel artistic practices. It contributes to a broader understanding of artistic lifein rural contexts during the early twentieth century.