Lars Norrman Lithograph Prints

This month’s “Artifact of the Month” is a collection of lithograph prints by Swedish artist Lars Norrman (1915 – 1979).  

Norrman’s work falls into two main subject areas. The first is ethnographic documentation of travels far beyond Sweden, including Egypt, Senegal, Japan, and Greenland.  The second is a visual recording of the work of industries, such as the paper industry seen in these prints. He believed artists should be “among the men and women of the work and experience their work.” Workers are integral to the scene but do not have greater emphasis than the buildings and landscape around them. Areas of the lithograph are left unprinted- allowing the surface of the paper to be as much a part of the finished product as the ink of the print.  

His work is often identified with simple shapes and surfaces, and the colors he used were cool in tone, often blues and greens. The images he created of the industrial papermaking process are cool landscapes, with minimal detail. The industrial feel of the artwork also reflects the change in landscape of the mid-twentieth century as well as creating a factual record of what he saw.  

In the later years of his life, Norrman’s works were licensed by the Swedish company IKEA. Perhaps some prints are still on displays in living rooms and hallways!   

We hope that you enjoyed this peek at our collection! We'll be back next month with another artifact. Have a great May!