Aslaug 1862

Mårten Eskil Winge painted 'Aslaug' using oil on canvas. He depicted a scene of a nude woman seated on a rock, draped with a fishing net accompanied by a brown dog, against a coastal backdrop. Aslaug was a figure from Norse mythology, known as the wife of Ragnar Lodbrok and the mother of several famous Viking heroes. Winge was working in Sweden at a time when national romanticism was at its height. This was a movement that sought inspiration in folklore and ancient history. Paintings like 'Aslaug' served to construct a shared national identity, drawing on idealized visions of the past. The nude figure and use of mythological themes also fit into a longer tradition of academic painting. The narratives these paintings present, often obscured the realities of class, gender and power. To get a better sense of the painting's place in the culture of its time, we would need to look further into the artists biography as well as exhibition reviews, books, and other printed materials. The task of the historian is to situate such works within the broader context of cultural institutions and social life.