Scandinavian Painted Decor

Jocasta Innes provides a study of traditional Scandinavian decorative styles. The distinctive colourist tradition of the Scandinavian and Baltic regions has produced a rich spectrum of paint treatments ranging from the lively primary colours of folk and vernacular decoration to rococo and neo-classical styles marked by a delicate interplay of light, landscape and interiors. This tradition is now having an increasing influence on styles in contemporary interior design, and the author examines and illustrates the development of the major decorative strands. As well as giving the historical context, she analyzes in detail the materials and techniques used, from the composition of pigments to the particular treatments of surfaces of all types. Each chapter deals with a different aspect of the tradition and extracts certain typical features for detailed comment and description. The contribution of Roger Seamark, a British conservation expert based in Sweden, provides a practical body of painting techniques and motifs for amateur and professional alike.