Sjotrollet 

Editor: This drawing, “Sjøtrollet,” by Theodor Severin Kittelsen, uses charcoal and pencil to create a world both familiar and frightening. It feels ripped from a nightmare, doesn't it? The monster looming over the stormy sea… What exactly is going on here, what do you see? Curator: What I see is Norway. It’s the Norway of folklore and primal fear, shaped in stark charcoal lines. The “Sjøtrollet,” or sea troll, isn't just a monster; it's the embodiment of the ocean’s capricious and indifferent power. He *is* the storm. Tell me, does he remind you of anything else – perhaps something beyond the purely visual? Editor: Well, he’s horrifying, obviously, but the way he rises from the water… It’s like the land *itself* is screaming. Curator: Precisely! Kittelsen wasn’t just drawing a monster, he was personifying the Norwegian landscape, imbuing it with a soul both terrifying and awe-inspiring. The bird flying past really hammers home the sheer size of the troll, doesn't it? It gives me the shivers just thinking about it. Editor: I hadn't noticed the bird before, that detail really changes the whole thing for me. It does feel like more than just a drawing now; more of an experience. Curator: It's a chilling dance between reality and myth, isn't it? Next time you hear the wind howling off the coast, remember the Sjotrollet, and maybe, just maybe, you’ll catch a glimpse of him yourself! Editor: I don't know if I want to, but I understand this artwork a lot better now. Thanks!