The Scandinavian Home: Art and Identity 1880-1920 | Opening Weekend

Discover the romance of the North through this vibrant and fascinating selection of paintings, furniture, textiles, metalwork and ceramics. Scandinavian artists, like many artists in the late nineteenth century, began to reject the formulaic teaching of state-sponsored academies and joined an international trend toward valuing individual expression and local subject matter. Landscapes featured luminous northern skies and snow-blanketed hills; trolls, fairies, and dragons adorned silver, furniture, tapestries, and more. The homes of artists, craftspeople, art patrons, and middle-class collectors showcased the work of local and regional artists celebrating Nordic subjects, techniques, and folkways.

Drawn from the remarkable collection of Pennsylvania-based collectors David and Susan Werner, The Scandinavian Home explores how Nordic artists of the 19th and early 20th played a crucial role in reinforcing a sense of belonging in Denmark, Finland, Norway, and Sweden, as each country strove to distinguish and celebrate specific local and national identities. ‘Home’ represented one’s domestic residence, the physical land itself, and the communities built through a collective commitment to social democracy.

The Washington County Museum of Fine Arts is the second venue on the national tour of this stellar private collection.

Celebrate the opening weekend with us and feel the cozy hygge vibes throughout the museum while enjoying a Swedish fika (coffee break) on us. Watch live fiber art demonstrations by With Hands and Hearts Antietam Fiber Artists 10:30 AM – 4 PM on Saturday, February 7 and enjoy coffee from local favorite Cannon Coffee 11 AM – 3 PM all weekend (February 7-8).

The Scandinavian Home has been organized by The Frick Pittsburgh and curated by Patricia G. Berman and Michelle Facos. The national tour is coordinated by Dawn R. Brean, Chief Curator and Director of Collections, The Frick Pittsburgh.

The Hagerstown presentation has been made possible through the generous support of Paul and Lotta Mellott, with additional support from the John R. Hershey Jr. & Anna L. Hershey Family Foundation and Dr. & Mrs. Robert K. Hobbs.