Theodore Kittelsen was one of the most prominent artists and illustrators in Norway, creating artworks depicting entities and landscapes central to Norwegian culture. Primarily focusing on creatures from traditional folklore, his paintings have remained popular in both mainstream and underground culture. Varg Vikernes is a controversial figure in black metal who is infamous for murdering his former bandmate 'Euronymous' out of self-defense, and he used several of Kittelsen's artworks as album covers. Vikernes was influential for his music in the second-wave of black metal, and arguably popularised using Kittelsen's art in the scene.
I have been a long time fan of Kittelsen's artwork, so I used this opportunity to explore the artistic legacy he left behind. I also avoided going in depth into Kittelsen's works that I am most familiar with, particularly ones used on numerous Burzum albums. One artwork in particular really stood out to me, titled as 'Moria Soria Slott' (Moria Soria Castle) from 1911.
The title was taken from a traditional Norwegian fairytale, which symbolises a journey towards tranquility and happiness, however the 'castle' in question is extremely hard to find. Kittelsen captures this idea of a journey into the unknown, by depicting a vast landscape of deep valleys that fade into a fog. A faint light can be seen in the distance, with a figure proceeding towards it on horseback.
I love the atmosphere of this illustration, and the focus on the overwhelming presence of nature. However, no flora nor fauna can be scene, and instead Kittelsen uses form and tone to create an overwhelming sense of isolation amongst an unforgiving wasteland. This once comic fairytale now becomes a story of existentialism and isolation, purely from Kittelsen's characteristic neo-romantic darkness. It also inspires me how the brown-grey colour pallet adds rather than take away from the piece, proving how beneficial form and tone are to art. I am glad that I found this artwork, as I feel it has really helped inform me on black metal aesthetics as well as the importance of tone and form.
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