Pesta Plate 7 from Svartedauen

What it is

This plate is from Svartedauen (The Black Death), a 1901 illustrated book by Norwegian artist Theodor Kittelsen. It shows a night scene with a narrow path winding toward a faint light, and in the foreground a dark, hooded silhouette carries a long-handled tool over one shoulder.

Why it matters

This image continues Kittelsen's personification of the Black Death as a shadowy traveler moving through the Norwegian landscape. The lone figure heading toward a distant light suggests the plague's slow, inevitable spread from place to place, as it was remembered in folklore long after the pandemic.

Look closer

• What might the distant light represent?
• Why does the figure appear as a silhouette rather than a detailed person?
• What mood does the night setting create, and why might the artist have chosen it?