On Exhibition: Carl Larsson, Our National Painter

Our little town is right now the lucky host of the only exhibition of Carl Larsson’s art outside Dalarna and Sundborn. A visit to this tiny, but exquisite, exhibition was on the menue today. Our 39th wedding anniversary.

Carl Larsson (28 May 1853 – 22 January 1919) was a Swedish painter representative of the Arts and Crafts Movement. His many paintings include oils, watercolours, and frescoes. But, when we think of Carl Larsson – we first of all think of his watercolours of his wife, children and home at Little Hyttnäs, Dalarna.

He considered his finest work to be Midvinterblot (Midwinter Sacrifice), a large (6-by-14-metre oil painting completed in 1915) painting now displayed inside the Swedish National Museum of Fine Arts.However, this great work was at first rejected by the board of the museum, and later sold to Japan. The fresco depicts the blót of King Domalde at the Temple of Uppsala. Decades later, the painting was purchased and placed in the National Museum, on the wall it once was intended for.

Detta bildspel kräver JavaScript.

Carl Larsson was born on 28 May 1853 in the old town of Stockholm, at 78 Prästgatan. His parents were extremely poor, and his childhood was not happy. His father told the young boy that he ”cursed the day he was born”. A younger brother of Carls´ was the much loved son, but he died at an early age. Throughout his life, CL could never forget his father’s words…and…

…with him was forever the wish for being loved. Much loved.

For some years he and Strinberg were great friends…

…but Strindberg misunderstood the painters wish for love and recognition..

…and terribly let him down

And he found his great love in another young artist, Karin Bergöö, whom he soon married. Together they worked in perfect harmony – he painting and she designing and working mostly with textiles. She bore him 8 children.

Carl and Karin

Self portraits…

…were popular with CL

A beautifully written Love for Japan and Japanese Art

My favourite CL painting. This window is what I dreamt of having in my own home when I grew up!

Through their paintings and books, Little Hyttnäs has become one of the most famous artist’s homes in the world. The artistic taste and harmony of its creators made it a major line in Swedish interior design. Despite its controversialness to the style of the time. The descendants of Carl and Karin Larsson now keep the house open for tourists each summer from May until October.