Vision 1891

Theodor Severin Kittelsen created "Vision" using crayon and pencil to produce this monochromatic image. Kittelsen lived during a time of burgeoning Norwegian nationalism, as Norway sought independence from Sweden. In "Vision", the flocks of birds draw our eyes upwards. This sense of ascending vision evokes the spiritual and cultural revival that was occurring in Norway, which sought to rediscover its folklore, identity, and cultural independence. The birds could represent the souls of the ancestors or the nation's cultural heritage. Kittelsen's personal life was marked by financial struggles, health issues, and social isolation, perhaps why he found refuge in the wilderness, identifying with the marginalized aspects of nature. He once wrote "I was overcome by such profound sadness, a longing to leave, to journey far away." The picture offers a meditative space where personal emotional experience meets larger cultural narratives. It allows one to reflect on how individual identity is interwoven with collective aspirations.