Kaj Beckman: En kartläggning av Kaj Beckmans konstnärskap och en visuell analys av hennes Tummelisa-illustrationer
2025 (Swedish)Independent thesis Basic level (degree of Bachelor), 10 credits / 15 HE credits
Student thesisAlternative title
Kaj Beckman : A Mapping of the Artistic Career of Kaj Beckman and an Analysis of Her Thumbelina Illustrations (English)
Abstract [en]
This thesis explores the artistic career of Kaj Beckman, with the aim of mapping her artistic production as a whole, focusing on her work as an illustrator of children’s books. In a case study of her interpretation of H.C. Andersen’s Thumbelina (1967) the essay analyses her artistic style, techniques, and influences based on intermediality, remediation and cultural contextualization. The study finds that multimediality and a broad spectrum of artistic style and expression characterizes Beckmans artistic career. The study also highlights her ability to merge traditional Swedish picture book aesthetics with modernist experimentation, through her use of collage and watercolor. The analysis positions Beckman as an innovator within Swedish picture book art, bridging the romantic traditions of Elsa Beskow with the dynamic visual expression of the 1960s. Her Thumbelina illustrations reflect both an adherence to the fairytale aesthetic of her predecessors and a conscious exploration of the materiality of the medium. By situating Beckman’s work within broader art historical and children’s literature contexts, this thesis contributes to a deeper understanding of her role in developing Swedish picture book art and her unique synthesis of natural detail and playful experimentation.
Place, publisher, year, edition, pages
2025. , p. 60
Keywords [en]
Art history, Kaj Beckman, picture books, illustration, children's literature, remediation, intermediality, collage, watercolour
Keywords [sv]
Konstvetenskap, Kaj Beckman, bilderböcker, illustration, barnlitteratur, remediering, intermedialitet, collage, akvarell
National Category
Art History
Identifiers
URN: urn:nbn:se:uu:diva-550423OAI: oai:DiVA.org:uu-550423DiVA, id: diva2:1937783
Subject / course
Art History
Supervisors
Examiners
2025-02-142025-02-142025-02-14Bibliographically approved