''Thor's Fight with the Giants'' () is an 1872 painting by the Swedish artist
Mårten Eskil Winge
Mårten Eskil Winge (21 September 1825 – 22 April 1896) was a Swedish artist. He was a professor at the Royal Swedish Academy of Arts.
He was associated with the Düsseldorf school of painting. His art was influenced by the Norse mythology th ...
. It depicts the
Norse god
In Germanic paganism, the indigenous religion of the ancient Germanic peoples who inhabit Germanic Europe, there were a number of different gods and goddesses. Germanic deities are attested from numerous sources, including works of literature, ...
Thor
Thor (from ) is a prominent list of thunder gods, god in Germanic paganism. In Norse mythology, he is a hammer-wielding æsir, god associated with lightning, thunder, storms, sacred trees and groves in Germanic paganism and mythology, sacred g ...
in a battle against the
jötnar. The thunder god rides his chariot pulled by the goats
Tanngrisnir and Tanngnjóstr
Tanngrisnir (Old Norse: , literal meaning "teeth grinder" or "one that grinds teeth") and Tanngnjóstr (, "teeth thin", or "one that has gaps between the teeth") are the goats who pull the chariot of the god Thor in Norse mythology. They are atte ...
, wears his belt
Megingjörð
In Norse mythology, the megingjörð ( , meaning "power-belt"Orchard (1997:110)) is a belt worn by the god Thor. The Old Norse name megin means power or strength, and gjörð means belt.
According to the ''Prose Edda'', the belt is one of Thor' ...
, and swings his hammer
Mjölnir
Mjölnir ( , ; from Old Norse ''Mjǫllnir'' ) is the hammer of the thunder god Thor in Norse mythology, used both as a devastating weapon and as a divine instrument to provide blessings. The hammer is attested in numerous sources, including t ...
, which is wreathed in lightning. The painting was made using oil on canvas, has the dimensions 484 x 333 centimeters, and belongs to
Nationalmuseum
Nationalmuseum is the List of national galleries, national gallery of fine arts of Sweden, located on the peninsula Blasieholmen in central Stockholm.
The museum's operations stretch far beyond the borders of Blasieholmen, including the Natio ...
in Stockholm.
History
Winge was a professor at the
Royal Swedish Academy of Arts
The Royal Swedish Academy of Fine Arts (), commonly called the Royal Academy, is located in Stockholm, Sweden. An independent organization that promotes the development of painting, sculpture, architecture, and other fine arts, it is one of seve ...
, where
history painting
History painting is a genre in painting defined by its subject matter rather than any artistic style or specific period. History paintings depict a moment in a narrative story, most often (but not exclusively) Greek and Roman mythology and B ...
was regarded as the most important genre of art. He also belonged to the Swedish
national liberal
National liberalism is a variant of liberalism, combining liberal policies and issues with elements of nationalism. Historically, national liberalism has also been used in the same meaning as conservative liberalism (right-liberalism).
A serie ...
movement, in which Norse myths and legends were frequently used as motifs.
The painting was finished in 1872 and bought by King
Charles XV
Charles XV or Carl (''Carl Ludvig Eugen''; Swedish language, Swedish and Norwegian language, Norwegian officially: ''Karl''; 3 May 1826 – 18 September 1872) was King of Sweden and List of Norwegian monarchs, Norway, there often referred to as C ...
, who died the same year and bequeathed it to Nationalmuseum.
Reception
The painting was exhibited publicly at Nationalmuseum in 1872. It was received positively in the press and immediately drew large crowds; some people stood in line for hours to see it. The young
August Strindberg
Johan August Strindberg (; ; 22 January 184914 May 1912) was a Swedish playwright, novelist, poet, essayist, and painter.Lane (1998), 1040. A prolific writer who often drew directly on his personal experience, Strindberg wrote more than 60 pla ...
wrote a positive review in which he interpreted the subject matter as a depiction of truth's struggle against falsehood.
The art historian characterized the painting in 1987 as an example of the national liberal movement using Norse motifs to extol democracy and the fight against ignorance.
See also
*
Swastika (Germanic Iron Age)
The swastika design is known from artefacts of various cultures since the Neolithic, and it recurs with some frequency on artefacts dated to the Germanic Iron Age, i.e. the Migration period to Viking Age period in Scandinavia, including the V ...
: the symbol appears throughout the archaeological record of the ancient Germanic peoples.
References
{{Authority control
1872 paintings
Paintings of Norse myths
Paintings in Nationalmuseum
Swedish paintings
Thor in art
Goats in art
Swastika