Material Witness: A Materialist Analysis of Per Krohg's UN Security Council Mural Untitled and the Endurance of Christian Imaginaries

Abstract

The application of theoretical frameworks grounded in Actor-Network Theory and materialism to Norwegian painter Per Krohg’s mural Untitled which hangs in the United Nations Security Council Chamber in New York City, reveals a palimpsest of two narratives. The first reflects the UN’s aspirations for peace, security, and development while the second, which is “hidden in plain sight,” exposes international law’s theological pre-histories rooted in Christian civilizing missions and colonial expansionism. This thesis endeavours to present a different way of looking at legal institutional stagnation by offering insight into the praxis of materialist methodology and it’s application to visual culture. This in turn elucidates the persistent, antiquated architectures of international law. By “making seen what is seen,” this thesis invites legal scholars and practitioners of international law to reconsider the role of materiality and how it shapes global governance.