Rose-painting
Rose-painting, rosemaling, rosemåling or rosmålning is a Scandinavian decorative folk painting that flourished from the 1700s to the mid-1800s, particularly in Norway.
In Sweden, rose-painting began to be called dalmålning, c. 1901, for the region Dalecarlia where it had been most popular, and kurbits, in the 1920s, for a characteristic trait, but in Norway the old name still predominates beside terms for local variants.
It then spread to wooden items commonly used in daily life, such as ale bowls, stools, chairs, cupboards, boxes, and trunks.
Using stylized ornamentation made up of fantasy flowers, scrollwork, fine line work, flowing patterns and sometimes geometric elements give rose-painting its unique feel.
The poet Erik Axel Karlfeldt, who wrote about the painted wall hangings of Dalarna,[6] popularized the term in the 1920s, particularly in his 1927 poem "Kurbitsmålning".
It came into existence in the early 1700s, when Baroque and Rococo artistic styles of the upper class were introduced into Norway's rural culture.
Since no rose-paintings can be traced back before this time, there is an indication that folk traditions within Norway went through a period of change and evolution.
Through this, historians have been more easily able to gauge how many pieces certain artists have done, and even identify dynasties of painters through family relation.
Like rosemaling, acanthus carving has had a cultural revival in recent times as both a means of interior design (for example, on furniture, picture frames, and door and window frames) and as a personal hobby, although most modern acanthus carving is left unpainted and unvarnished.
An anecdote about the Nazi occupation of Norway (1940–1945) is that at a time when the public display of the Norwegian flag or the State Coat of Arms could bring imprisonment or even death, the Norwegians discovered that they could display the 'H' overlapping the '7' of the Royal cypher of their exiled king, Haakon VII, at the center of a rosemaling design without the German occupation forces seeing anything but a colorful peasant design.
Christmas cards with the Royal cypher at the center of a rosemaling design were especially popular; many have survived and their history documented.
Back in the 1700s when the first piece of rose-painting was done in Norway, it was only visible in remote locations such as inside homes and churches.
Now, however, rose-painting is being executed on bowls, vases, plates, chests, jewelry boxes, and a multitude of furniture items.
Many shops in Norwegian tourist cities sell various unique rose-painted items from local at-home artists.
Since rosemaling in Norway simply means "decorative painting," there are still many other designs besides floral or rose depictions.
Certain items, such as the invention of chimneys, made Norwegians feel the need to decorate more parts of their home.
This led to the expansion of rose-paintings and an industrialized version that was more accessible and economically affordable for everyday citizens.
This is why certain places to this day, such has the Nordic Museum and Chicago Public Library, display a multitude of rose-paintings.
[8][15] In Sweden, it is a style of painting featuring light brush strokes and depictions of gourds, leaves, and flowers, used especially in the decoration of furniture and wall hangings, and was adopted by both artists and artisans in rural Sweden, reaching its greatest popularity in the latter half of the 18th century.
After industrialization, it did not disappear due to the fact that the art created during this period was recognized as a major part of Sweden's folk culture and heritage.
The most common themes of kurbit art are the wedding at Cana, Jonah preaching, the entry of the Queen of Sheba, the three wise men, Jesus riding into Jerusalem, the story of Joseph, the ten virgins, the crowning of Salomon, and the vineyard.
[19] Kurbits artists include Winter Carl Hansson of Yttermo and Back Olof Andersson, who painted in 1790–1810.
The kurbits style was used in the candidate city logo of the Stockholm-Åre bid for the 2026 Winter Olympics, forming the year "2026".
It is not surprising this specific form of folk art was brought to America by Norwegian immigrants since it was not just used for decoration and aesthetic purposes in Norway, but also for self-definition.
[22] One prominent rosemaling artist Per Lysne, who was born in Norway and emigrated to Wisconsin, was trained in the craft.
[22] This is very valuable as it offers more ways for Norwegian-Americans (and other Americans) to pass on rosemaling skills and traditions to future generations.
[15] To this day, there is now a decent amount of Norwegian-Americans from the Upper Midwest who have taken on rose painting, causing some of their styles to be considered "Americanized."
