Troll Som Vasker Ungen Sin 

Editor: This charcoal and pencil drawing, titled "Troll Washing Her Child" by Theodor Severin Kittelsen, feels unsettlingly intimate. There’s a starkness to the scene, this huge, looming troll so tenderly caring for her young in a harsh landscape. What stands out to you when you look at this? Curator: Ah, yes, unsettling intimacy perfectly describes it. For me, Kittelsen manages to tap into something primal here. This isn’t just about trolls; it’s about motherhood in the rawest sense. The fierce protection, the acceptance of the less-than-pretty aspects of child-rearing. What do you make of the background? The imposing landscape? Editor: I think it mirrors the troll's own being—rough, unforgiving, yet undeniably beautiful in its own way. Almost like a natural extension of her. Is that the symbolism? Curator: Precisely! Kittelsen masterfully blends the figure with the environment. Think about the time he was working: late 19th century, Norway searching for its own identity, its own folklore. He's taking these "ugly" creatures and making them part of the national narrative, forcing viewers to confront the wild, untamed aspects of themselves. Is there any of the drawing in particular that feels most alive to you? Editor: Definitely the water, and how it's rendered – it seems to breathe movement and energy into the otherwise static scene. Curator: Beautifully observed! It’s almost like the water is a character in itself, isn't it? Washing away the preconceptions we might have about trolls, about mothers, about art itself. Makes you think about what we choose to sanitize and what we allow to flow freely. Editor: It really does. I hadn’t considered how defiant it is! I'm leaving with a lot more empathy, oddly enough, for fairytale creatures. Curator: Isn't that the magic of art? To find the universal in the seemingly strange. To see ourselves reflected, even in a troll washing her baby in a glacial stream.