Join us as we welcome back Dr. Michelle Facos in conjunction with our current exhibition From Dawn to Dusk. Swedish artists attending the Paris World’s Fair of 1889 were disappointed to find critics praising Norwegian paintings for their authenticity and criticizing Swedish paintings for their imitation of French trends. As a result, they returned home, determined to create quintessentially Swedish paintings.
Once back in Sweden, many joined the campaign of social democrats to promote a Swedish national identity that included all citizens and emphasized love of homeland, social solidarity, and gender equality. Building emotional bridges between image and viewer was the strategy they adopted to foster sentiments of attachment and patriotism.
