Modern Scandinavian Prints

A tradition of printmaking has existed among artists from the Scandinavian countries for only 100 years, but during that time it has enjoyed special favour as a means of creative expression. Using etching and woodcut in particular, Scandinavian artists have have used this medium to evoke a wide range of emotions from calm introspection to a sharper melancholia, raw nervous energy and surreal humour. The development of an identifiable "Scandinavian" sensibility has always been fostered by foreign stimuli, and artists such as Carl Larsson, Anders Zorn, Edvard Munch and Asger Jorn have all looked abroad for inspiration. Contemporary printmakers continue to operate within an international context, and artists such as Per Kirkeby from Denmark and Sigurdur Gudmundsson from Iceland move between painting, sculpture, photography and printmaking. This work surveys modern Scandinavian printmaking as a whole, and includes 150 prints by 55 different artists, principally from Norway, Sweden and Denmark, mostly drawn from the British Museum's own collection. This catalogue accompanies an exhibition in the British Museum held from 24 January to 20 April 1997.