Peer Gynt 09 1890

Theodor Severin Kittelsen made this drawing, Peer Gynt 09, using pen and ink sometime in the late 19th century. Kittelsen was Norwegian, and here he illustrates a scene from Ibsen’s play “Peer Gynt,” a work deeply concerned with Norwegian identity. Peer Gynt is confronted by the Great Boyg. The Boyg is an amorphous being, shapeless, and difficult to fight. Ibsen likely intended the Boyg to represent the many obstacles that prevent people from realizing their true selves. One might interpret this work as a reflection on the social constraints and expectations that stifled individualism in Norway at the time. But what are those constraints? To get a better understanding of this image, we need to consider the history of Norway in the 19th century, including its relationship to the rest of Scandinavia. The image invites consideration not just of Ibsen's play but also of the public role of art and the politics of imagery.