Mot fjärran horisonter: 1800-talets svenska expeditioner till sjöss och deras bildvärld

Sammanfattning

This master’s thesis explores the role of maritime painting in constructing and reflecting Swedish national identity during the 19th century, with a focus on the visual culture of Swedish expeditions. Initially perceived as an unlikely subject for examining national identity, maritime painting, blending elements of history, landscape, and portraiture painting alike, but with ships as subjects, emerges as a tool for ideological and cultural expression. Through a visual culture perspective, which prioritizes the cultural and ideological significance of images over their aesthetic value, the imagery of expeditions such as those of the Eugenie 1851–1853, Vega 1878–1880 and Vanadis 1883–1885 is analyzed. These images are not merely documentary but serve as symbolic constructions that reinforced an emerging Swedish identity during a transformative period following the loss of Finland in 1809. The paintings, often depicting ships as personifications of the nation, glorify technological and scientific achievements, heroic deeds, and international recognition, while also engaging in comparisons with other nations to assert Swedish superiority. The visual rhetoric of these works, characterized by romanticized depictions of nature, detailed ship portrayals, and subtle nautical symbolism, underscores a narrative of progress and national pride. Furthermore, the imagery reflects the era’s colonial and orientalist discourses, portraying encounters with “the other” in exoticized terms, thus reinforcing Sweden’s self-image as a civilized nation. By drawing on theories of national identity from scholars like Benedict Anderson and Homi Bhabha, this study demonstrates how the visual world of these expeditions actively shaped and mirrored a constructed Swedish national identity, rooted in scientific exploration, mercantile ambition, and a reimagined Viking heritage. The paintings, often created decades after the expeditions, served both elite and broader audiences, fostering a sense of national community and pride through their depictions of Sweden as a capable maritime and scientific nation on the global stage.