Smeden Og Bageren 

Theodor Severin Kittelsen created "Smeden Og Bageren" using pen and ink to capture the essence of labor and folklore. Kittelsen, living in a time of burgeoning industrialization, often turned to the natural world and Norwegian folklore, infusing his art with a deep sense of national identity and romanticism. Notice the raw, unfiltered depiction of the blacksmith, a figure central to the era's cultural imagination. His brow is heavy, his form bent in labor; the image seems to ask, how does one reconcile the heroic vision of work with its often brutal realities? Kittelsen seems to delve into the intersection of labor and identity. He draws our attention to the stories we tell ourselves about progress, class, and the dignity of work. In his world, folklore becomes a lens through which to understand our own place in society.