Näcken och nationalromantiken, 1850–1884 : Från demon till sagovarelse, en studie av näckens förvandling i den nationalromantiska konsten

Sammanfattning

This bachelor’s thesis presents an analysis of how the Swedish folk creature Näcken (The neck/Nixie) underwent a significant transformation in 19th century Swedish art. By comparing four major paintings of the Neck over the period 1850-1884 it is argued that the national romantic artists of the period reimagined the Neck as a fairy-like figure, as opposed to the demonic equivalent found in folklore. To explore this hypothesis I have situated my analysis of the paintings within biographical literature on the artists as well as research on the Neck and related topics such as fairies. The thesis aims to connect the Neck, and the Swedish “fairytale art” of the mid 19th century, to a broader European context and to clarify why the Neck as a visual motif changed so drastically during the chosen time period.