Gezicht op de opstelling van Noorse stukken bont van J.N. Bruun, op de Wereldtentoonstelling van 1885 in Antwerpen before 1885

This anonymous print depicts the display of Norwegian furs at the 1885 World’s Fair in Antwerp. The engraving shows how Johan N. Bruun, a furrier from Trondheim, Norway, chose to represent his wares on an international stage. The World’s Fair was a venue for countries to showcase their industrial and artistic achievements, but also to promote national identities. Norway, at this time, was still in a union with Sweden and seeking to assert its cultural distinctiveness. Bruun’s display, featuring reindeer antlers and traditional clothing, evokes a romantic vision of the Nordic landscape. The image creates meaning through references to Norway's natural resources, emphasizing the importance of its fur trade. To understand this image better, it would be useful to research the history of Norwegian participation in World’s Fairs, alongside studies of the fur trade and its role in the country’s economy. This print reminds us that art and commerce are often intertwined, reflecting the complex cultural and political landscape of their time.