COMPOSITION ANALYSIS OF THEODOR KITTELSEN’S ILLUSTRATIONS FOR THE COLLECTION “NORWEGIAN MAGIC TALES” (2018)

Abstract

The article presents a compositional analysis of Theodor Kittelsen’s illustrations for the book «Norwegian Magic Tales» (2018). The focus is on the illustrations «The Sea Troll» (1881), «The Witch» (1892), «The Spirit of the Waterfall» (1892), «The Rjukan Waterfall in its Original Grandeur» (1904), «The Waterman» (1904), «On the Way to the Guild in Troldslotte» (1904), «The Forest Troll» (1905), «The Mountain Troll» (1905), «The Troll Who Thinks How Old He Is» (1911), «Peer Gynt at the Dover Grandfather’s» (1913). The article offers an art-historical analysis of the main works of T. Kittelsen; The factors that influenced the formation of the artist are investigated (the dominance of folklore motifs in the pictorial tradition of the countries of Northern Europe, the humanization of the natural environment, the poeticization of everyday culture, the assimilation of the principles of Scandinavian decorative and applied arts). The practical significance of the study lies in the fact that its factual materials, theoretical provisions and conclusions can be used in the preparation of generalizing works and textbooks on the history of design of the countries of Northern Europe, as well as relevant lecture courses, special courses and practical classes in the discipline «History of Design». The purpose of the article is to analyze the compositional construction of illustrations by T. Kittelsen for the book «Norwegian Magic Tales». Methodology. The methodological principles of systematicity, complexity, objectivity and historicism were used during the study. In order to collect, systematize and study information, the author used the following methods: historical and comparative, monographic, as well as the method of art historical analysis. Scientific novelty. In domestic historiography there are no studies devoted to the art historical analysis of the works of T. Kittelsen, their formal and stylistic features, and the compositional structure of the works. This article provides an opportunity to fill this information gap. Conclusions. The drawings of Theodore Kittelsen are so compositionally complete that each of them can exist as an independent work, and all together they form a coherent, complex figurative book composition.