Midvinterblot
Midvinterblot is an oil-on-canvas painting by the Swedish painter Carl Larsson, created in 1915 for the hall of the central staircase in the Nationalmuseum in Stockholm. It has been called Sweden's most controversial painting. The work depicts a legend from Norse mythology in which the Swedish king Domalde is killed in a sacrifice (blót) to avert famine. After a long debate, the painting was rejected by the museum, but the controversy resurfaced in the late 20th century, and the painting finally was placed where Larsson had intended.Painting credit: Carl Larsson; photograph edited by W. Carter