Representing Evolution: Jens Ferdinand Willumsen's Fertility and the Natural Sciences
Research output: Contribution to journal › Journal article › Research › peer-review
A scandal shook Danish art when Jens Ferdinand Willumsen exhibited his etching Fertility in 1891. A heavily pregnant woman—Willumsen's wife, Juliette—and a short text about a new language of art flank a grain, which sprouts in a way that looks less like a plant than some sort of diagram. This article discusses Willumsen's etching in the context of evolutionary theory, arguing that Willumsen is a rare example of an artist who not only let the theory of evolution fuel his artistic imagination, but also concerned himself with a core issue of the theory, namely to what extent it could be applied to the language of art.
Original language | English |
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Journal | Nineteenth-Century Art Worldwide |
Volume | 11 |
Issue number | 3 |
ISSN | 1543-1002 |
Publication status | Published - 23 Oct 2012 |
- Faculty of Humanities - Kunst, Naturvidenskab, Evolution
Research areas
ID: 41809501