About

I am currently a research fellow funded by The Royal Swedish Academy of Letters, History and Antiquities. Painting is thus “merely” my hobby, but also something I cannot live without. Just as writing, painting, for me, is a way to examine, interpret, and discover the inner and outer world.

This same curiosity, and the urge to express what I learn, may also partly explain why I have earned the research degree of both a Doctor of Philosophy and a Doctor of Theology. I have also studied so-called alba amicorum – handwritten autograph albums from, mainly, the 17th century – and written about the materially and “aura” of physical books and their digital representations. Research is another way to delve into the world and its mysteries. I believe that the encounter with texts from the past and other cultural artefacts can not only expand our horizons, but also teach us something about ourselves.

In both of my dissertations, I studied mediaeval texts, although from two different cultures (the Old Norse and the German, respectively). The Middles Ages and the Renaissance are also the primary sources of inspiration for my painting, even if this has varied and I am always keen to try new perspectives. I like the “cleanness” of the art roughly before the 17th century (e.g., paintings of the Northern Renaissance), which also retains the magic of the pre-modern enchanted and symbolically loaded world.

I use oil to create paintings in different styles and techniques, and also experiment with calligraphy, gouache, graphite, and different pastels. I hope to be able to post a selection of works here for years to come.

2012.12 - Me painting

Painting the Milk Span (2013).

Literature

  • Cöllen, Sebastian. 2018. Gefiolierte blüte kunst. Eine kognitionslinguistisch orientierte Untersuchung zur Metaphorik in Frauenlobs Marienleich. Uppsala: Department of Modern Languages, Uppsala University. ISBN 978-91-506-2691-9. [Online]
  • Cöllen, Sebastian. 2015. Heimdallr – der rätselhafte Gott. Eine philologische und religionsgeschichtliche Untersuchung (= Ergänzungsbände zum Reallexikon der Germanischen Altertumskunde 94). Berlin & Boston: de Gruyter. ISBN 978-3-11-042195-8.