Schetsblad met krabbels van het land, een koe, dansers, toeristen en fantasie-figuren 1851 - 1896

Ludwig Munthe made this sketch sheet with pencil, likely sometime in the mid-to-late 19th century. The jumble of figures—country folk, dancers, tourists, and the occasional fantastical character—give us a window into the artist's imagination and perhaps the social world that surrounded him. Munthe was Norwegian. Norway in the 19th century was experiencing a surge in national romanticism. Artists turned to the natural landscape and the traditions of rural life to forge a distinct national identity, separate from Danish and Swedish cultural influence. This sheet may be a collection of observations or studies toward a larger project. These kinds of informal sketches offer insight into the artistic process. They may even serve as a subtle form of institutional critique, resisting the demand for finished, polished works that were favored by the art market. By looking into the artist's biography, the cultural context of 19th-century Norway, and the institutional pressures on artists at the time, we can begin to understand the many layers of meaning embedded in this seemingly simple sketch.