16 March – 29 March 2020

In connection with the Academy of Fine Arts' lecture series on Ornamentation, a selection of books from the last 200 years from the Academy's library, supplemented with plaster ornaments from the collections, will be on display for a short period. The books were originally purchased for use by members, teachers and students at the Academy.

Here you will find standard works in the history of ornament and examples of how book covers and book bindings were designed during the period, most from the decades around 1900. Some are magnificent panel works that have inspired artists, architects and interior designers. Other books are printed on poor quality wood-containing paper with the aim of reaching many readers at a low price. But this does not always mean that the design is neglected.

With some examples from folk painting and textiles, tattoo art and graphics, we also want to show how the ornamental / decorative is expressed within extremely diverse cultural circles. More than claiming to tell the entire history of ornamentation, the selection of books has aimed to stimulate your own thoughts about the decorative visual culture that is around us today.