This two-part class is an invitation to explore the elements and archetypes of Viking artwork through hands-on drawing exercises with artist Jeanine Malec. This two-session class will focus on the Ringerike style.
The sixth of seven identifiable styles of Viking design, Ringerike represents the height of complexity along an evolutionary arc of zoomorphic knots in Scandinavia. It was popular from 1000 CE to 1075 CE and can be seen in examples from Norway, such as the Vang Stone and Heggen Weather Vane, a brass ornament that was made for a ship prow but enjoyed a second life atop a church. This style features ornamental motifs of vining tendrils, palmettes and acanthus leaves as extensions of the body.
Zoomorphic means “animal-shaped” and applies to many of the ornate interlacing patterns that adorned functional objects such as architecture, furniture, tools, and textiles in the ancient Scandinavian world. More organic and less geometric than Celtic knotwork, Viking knots also feature several levels of complexity that can be studied and built up one layer at a time. By isolating each component, we will work up historical examples of the Ringerike style that can be drawn on to create new interpretations of the theme.
Saturday | February 10 + 17, 2024 | 10:30am-12:30pm
$50 | $45 for Members of Norway House
Note: We need 48 hours’ notice in order to reschedule your tickets or to provide a refund if there is a cancellation. Thank you.
Questions? Contact Carstens Smith, Education Coordinator, at classes@norwayhouse.org.