Uddrag af Knytlingesagaen om Knud den helliges udsendinge til Vendsyssel 1932 - 1935

This is a page from Niels Larsen Stevns's sketchbook, an undated study related to his illustrations of the Knytlinga saga. The saga tells the history of the Danish kings from the time of Harald Bluetooth to the death of Canute the Holy in 1086. We see Stevns working out the narrative, imagining the messengers of King Canute arriving in Vendsyssel. The artist uses visual codes to evoke the past, but he also anchors the scene in his own time. Made in Denmark, the image reflects the national romanticism of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. This movement sought to define a unique Danish identity by looking back to the nation's history and folklore. Museums and art schools played a key role in shaping this cultural project. To understand this artwork better, we can turn to historical sources, literary analysis, and studies of Danish cultural history. By exploring these resources, we can appreciate how art is always embedded in specific social and institutional contexts.