Picturing History: The Plague

[baleanoptera]

The story goes something like this. During the Black Death the plague took the shape of an old woman, who hobbled from village to village, farm to farm. She’d be in old, raggedy clothes and carried a rake and a broom. If you saw her use the rake that meant that some of the people in the area would die. If she used the broom then everyone, yourself included, would be swept away.






The old woman was called Plague or Old Woman Plague. She smelled of death, dust and nothingness.



These pictures were made by the Norwegian painter Theodor Kittelsen. He is best known for illustrating fairytales, but considered his cycle of plague pictures to be his best work.



When I was ten these pictures were illustrations in my history book. They scared me, and most of my classmates, silly. I met one of these former school friends a little while ago, and we started to talk about our schooldays. He said: “You know – it’s weird, but whenever I think of the Middle Ages I remember those plague pictures. It’s like they’re superimposed on everything else.” He admitted that he had trouble seeing the Middel Ages as anything other than dark an scary.
So I guess it's not just how we write history, it's how we choose to picture it as well.

Comments

[alexandral.livejournal.com]

These pictures are incredible. I absolutely share your feelings. And thank you so much for posting them! I just had a moment of revelation of finding something really original and extremely powerful.Wow.

[baleanoptera.livejournal.com]

You're welcome! :) I could say I love these pictures, but I'm not sure the word love would explain my feelings exactly. While watching them I still get the feeling I had as a little kid, I was mesmerized by them, I wanted to look away because they scared me - but found myself unable to do so. It's like the pictures grab you, and refuses to let you go. Is there a word for that feeling? There should be.

I'm so glad you like them. There are actually many more in this cycle - I think around 20 pictures all in all.They are all held in black/white charcoal - and they are all creepy.

Have you seen any of his fairytale illustrations? I'm pondering if I should post some of them as well. They are not as powerful as these, but some of them are so, so good.

[alexandral.livejournal.com]

Have you seen any of his fairytale illustrations? I'm pondering if I should post some of them as well. They are not as powerful as these, but some of them are so, so good.

I would love to see some more - which fairy tales are these?

[baleanoptera.livejournal.com]

He has mostly done the Norwegian ones. ;) Inspired by the Brothers Grimm two professors collected the Norwegian Fairytales in the late 19th Century. I don't know if they are all that well known outside of Scandinavia - but I've seen them collected and published in english under the title: East of the Sun, West of the Moon.

And I'll put together a post on some of his other illustrations. :)