Descendant: Lars von Trier and Nordic Art

Descendant presents some of the greatest artists whose legacy forms the foundation of film director Lars von Trier's work.

“My idea is to satisfy myself with a collage of images that together represent my youthful, naïve, if you will, love for primarily Nordic artists and their followers, as a kind of interwoven tapestry that can be viewed both as a whole and in detail.” This is how film director Lars von Trier introduces the project behind this book.

Descendant presents some of the greatest artists whose legacy forms the foundation of von Trier’s own work. With contributions from author Karl Ove Knausgård, literary critic Lilian Munk Rösing, artist Erik Steffensen, and Lars von Trier himself, the book unfolds a large array of works from world-renowned artists like August Strindberg, Caspar David Friedrich, Edvard Munch, J.F. Willumsen, Paul Gauguin, Per Kirkeby, Rudolph Tegner, Thorvald Bindesbøll, and Vilhelm Hammershøi. The book will be published in English, Danish, and Swedish.