Himlens fröjd eller helvetets fasa : perspektiv på västsvenska kyrkomålningar från 1700-talet
(2001)- Abstract
- During the18th century, the Swedish orthodox Church faced considerable problems with dissension and indifference. One important means of coping with the situation was the decision to have the ceilings of the churches painted in brilliant oil-paint. The appropriate theme for the didactic purpose was Time’s End, Christ’s second coming in order to judge mankind. Almost every church in the South-west of Sweden was henceforward decorated in the manner of a warning and a threat. The Last Judgement had been a frequent theme in earlier periods, what was new and most remarkable was the vast extension of Hell and Hell’s torment in the western part of the churches. On behalf of reward, punishment was emphasised, according to all kinds of... (More)
- During the18th century, the Swedish orthodox Church faced considerable problems with dissension and indifference. One important means of coping with the situation was the decision to have the ceilings of the churches painted in brilliant oil-paint. The appropriate theme for the didactic purpose was Time’s End, Christ’s second coming in order to judge mankind. Almost every church in the South-west of Sweden was henceforward decorated in the manner of a warning and a threat. The Last Judgement had been a frequent theme in earlier periods, what was new and most remarkable was the vast extension of Hell and Hell’s torment in the western part of the churches. On behalf of reward, punishment was emphasised, according to all kinds of nonconformist behaviour. Thus, the visualisation of the Doom, with Heaven and Hell is logically interpreted as a rhetorical reinforcement of verbal Doomsday preaching. The departure of the study is the paintings that are still to be seen in 42 churches in the west of Sweden, out of approximately 100. The investigation focuses the theme on a micro level, followed by generalisation into main tendencies. Depictions are examined to give evidence of inconsistent attitudes and signs of change. Initially a small-scale depiction, the emphasis on Hell during the period 1730-60 is remarkable. It develops into a vast and blood-curling report of the horror of Hell. By sketching, on a macro level, a dynamic social frame-work for the pictorial representation, it becomes obvious that the eschatological proposals were part of an ineluctable symbolic universe which was implemented and taken for granted by the members of the initially collectively structured society. It is argued that the structural changes within society could be interpreted as both cause and effect of changed attitudes to religion. By the end of the century, the manifest functions of the eschatological theme have lapsed into blurred dysfunctions. The pictorial narrative of Time’s End, initially giving evidence of a tragic conception of the universe, was transformed into something ludicrous or comically burlesque. The unified world-view formerly inherited by way of socialisation met the competition from alternatives. Henceforth a growing aestheticism prescribed the whitewashing of the interior of the churches. (Less)
- Abstract (Swedish)
- Popular Abstract in Swedish
Yttersta domen blev det favoriserade motivet då man under 1700-talet dekorerade de västsvenska kyrkornas innertak. VARFÖR kom just helvetesdetaljen att uppta allt större utrymme? Syndens straff utvisas här som en evig vistelse i ett kvalfyllt helvete. Snart var det stort nog att symboliskt rymma hela församlingen. Härifrån rungar varningar, hot skallar medan eldsprutande, bestialiska djävlar och monster med onda ögon torterar mänskliga varelser. Blod sprutar i dessa bilder och offren skriker av fasa och skräck. HIMLENS FRÖJD ELLER HELVETETS FASA är en konst- och kulturkritisk studie som behandlar frågor runt dessa teman. Måleriet står i fokus men aktualiserar en sociokulturell kontext i... (More) - Popular Abstract in Swedish
Yttersta domen blev det favoriserade motivet då man under 1700-talet dekorerade de västsvenska kyrkornas innertak. VARFÖR kom just helvetesdetaljen att uppta allt större utrymme? Syndens straff utvisas här som en evig vistelse i ett kvalfyllt helvete. Snart var det stort nog att symboliskt rymma hela församlingen. Härifrån rungar varningar, hot skallar medan eldsprutande, bestialiska djävlar och monster med onda ögon torterar mänskliga varelser. Blod sprutar i dessa bilder och offren skriker av fasa och skräck. HIMLENS FRÖJD ELLER HELVETETS FASA är en konst- och kulturkritisk studie som behandlar frågor runt dessa teman. Måleriet står i fokus men aktualiserar en sociokulturell kontext i förändring. Ett vidgat perspektiv på temat Dom och helvete leder till klarhet i frågorna om funktion och dysfunktion. När 1800-talet randas träder man in i en ny värld, dock inte den som utmålats i Yttersta domen. En modern estetik föreskriver hädanefter vitkalkning av kyrkorummet. Djävulen förvisas från kyrkans värld, men finner så småningom sitt "tjänsterum" i en expanderande underhållningsindustri. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
https://lup.lub.lu.se/record/20038
- author
- Färnström, Maud LU
- supervisor
- opponent
-
- University lector, amanuensis Liepe, Lena, Tromsö
- organization
- alternative title
- The Bliss of Heaven or The Horror of Hell. Perspectives on Westswedish Church-paintings from the 18th century
- publishing date
- 2001
- type
- Thesis
- publication status
- published
- subject
- keywords
- Apocalypticism, Eschatology, Church-painting, Christ, Angels, Devils, Monster, Socialisation, Function, Dysfunction, Symbolic universe, Social change, Konsthistoria, Art history, Heaven, Last Judgement, Hell, Art of painting, Måleri
- pages
- 356 pages
- publisher
- Swedish Science Press
- defense location
- House Josephson, hall 314, Inst för Konst- och musikvetenskap, Biskopsgatan 5, Lund
- defense date
- 2001-05-18 10:15:00
- ISBN
- 91-628-4726-0
- language
- Swedish
- LU publication?
- yes
- id
- 03ece37d-a3e8-405a-8dd1-f40ca0f2a001 (old id 20038)
- date added to LUP
- 2016-04-04 11:23:04
- date last changed
- 2021-02-16 12:17:45
@phdthesis{03ece37d-a3e8-405a-8dd1-f40ca0f2a001,
abstract = {{During the18th century, the Swedish orthodox Church faced considerable problems with dissension and indifference. One important means of coping with the situation was the decision to have the ceilings of the churches painted in brilliant oil-paint. The appropriate theme for the didactic purpose was Time’s End, Christ’s second coming in order to judge mankind. Almost every church in the South-west of Sweden was henceforward decorated in the manner of a warning and a threat. The Last Judgement had been a frequent theme in earlier periods, what was new and most remarkable was the vast extension of Hell and Hell’s torment in the western part of the churches. On behalf of reward, punishment was emphasised, according to all kinds of nonconformist behaviour. Thus, the visualisation of the Doom, with Heaven and Hell is logically interpreted as a rhetorical reinforcement of verbal Doomsday preaching. The departure of the study is the paintings that are still to be seen in 42 churches in the west of Sweden, out of approximately 100. The investigation focuses the theme on a micro level, followed by generalisation into main tendencies. Depictions are examined to give evidence of inconsistent attitudes and signs of change. Initially a small-scale depiction, the emphasis on Hell during the period 1730-60 is remarkable. It develops into a vast and blood-curling report of the horror of Hell. By sketching, on a macro level, a dynamic social frame-work for the pictorial representation, it becomes obvious that the eschatological proposals were part of an ineluctable symbolic universe which was implemented and taken for granted by the members of the initially collectively structured society. It is argued that the structural changes within society could be interpreted as both cause and effect of changed attitudes to religion. By the end of the century, the manifest functions of the eschatological theme have lapsed into blurred dysfunctions. The pictorial narrative of Time’s End, initially giving evidence of a tragic conception of the universe, was transformed into something ludicrous or comically burlesque. The unified world-view formerly inherited by way of socialisation met the competition from alternatives. Henceforth a growing aestheticism prescribed the whitewashing of the interior of the churches.}},
author = {{Färnström, Maud}},
isbn = {{91-628-4726-0}},
keywords = {{Apocalypticism; Eschatology; Church-painting; Christ; Angels; Devils; Monster; Socialisation; Function; Dysfunction; Symbolic universe; Social change; Konsthistoria; Art history; Heaven; Last Judgement; Hell; Art of painting; Måleri}},
language = {{swe}},
publisher = {{Swedish Science Press}},
school = {{Lund University}},
title = {{Himlens fröjd eller helvetets fasa : perspektiv på västsvenska kyrkomålningar från 1700-talet}},
year = {{2001}},
}