In the Älvsborg County Museum in Vänersborg there is a large painted linen wall hanging illustrating the Ten Commandments, the Articles of Faith, and the First Lord's Prayer. The hanging was painted in 1842 but it does not bear the initials of either the painter or the owner. As a type, however, it belongs to the craft influenced tradition of pain ted hangings in Knäred in Halland, with distinctive features such as borders within which the motifs stand out like small framed paintings.
It has hitherto been impossible to find the originals from which the motifs were copied, but it is reasonable to assume that they were borrowed from an illustrated edition of Luther's Small Catechism. Illustrated catechisms occurred in the 16th century in Sweden but were later replaced by catechisms with text only. A catechism published by Horn’s printing house in Västerås in 1767 and reissued in 1768, 1775 and 1802, however, does contain illustrations. The pictures largely follow the 16th century tradition introduced by Cranach.
The pictures reproduced here show motif by motif how Hom's catechism served as a model for the painter of the hanging, and a1so how he was able to transform the originals. The pictorial scenes are almost entirely free of perspective, in keeping with the tradition of painted wall hangings. The painter's ambition was to translate the scenes to his own times, in particular the costumes. References to the Bible have been incorporated in the pictorial fields and have also been expanded, which shows that the painter - or the person who commissioned the hanging - was thoroughly familiar with his Bible. A recurrent feature is that the painter concentrates on the main scene, clearing away any background or side motifs which were not necessary for an understanding of the painting. Since the painter has omitted the lightning flashes, the pictures have lost their accusatory character and become more narrative. Moreover, the colouring has made them more decorative.
