Krigen Mellom Froskene Og Musene 12 1885

Theodor Severin Kittelsen made this illustration – in ink, presumably – to depict "The War Between the Frogs and the Mice." The lines are drawn with a visible, wiry energy; you can feel his hand moving across the page. This immediacy adds to the sense of both fantasy and social commentary. After all, Kittelsen made his living as a draftsman, producing illustrations for books and periodicals. These were designed to be reproduced, consumed, and then discarded. There’s a world of difference between that kind of labor and, say, the work of an oil painter at the time. And yet, Kittelsen was very interested in Norwegian folklore and landscape. He imbues this image with a sense of local character, even though it's an age-old fable. It just goes to show that the most seemingly humble materials can be enlivened by the maker’s touch and vision, to say a lot about culture and aesthetics.