The artwork, “Brita as Iduna (Iðunn)” by Carl Larsson, is a lithography portrait created in 1901 in Sweden. This piece served as the title page for the Christmas edition of Idun. It belongs to the Art Nouveau (Modern) movement and falls within the portrait genre.
In this lithography, a young girl, Brita, is depicted as Iduna, or Iðunn, a goddess from Norse mythology associated with youth and the rejuvenating power of her magical apples. Brita is dressed in a bright red outfit, complete with a matching hat, and is holding a bunch of golden apples in one hand while carrying a green woven basket filled with apples in the other. The vibrant reds of her clothing starkly contrast with the more subdued background, allowing her figure to stand out vividly. She wears fluffy, decorative footwear, and her expression exudes innocence and charm. The overall composition of the artwork is characterized by its delicate lines and soft coloration, typical of Larsson’s distinctive artistic style within the Art Nouveau movement.
