Anders Zorn

Earlier in the estate of Anders Zorn, sold ca mid 1930's by the Zorn collections, Mora.
Bukowski auctionhouse, auction 492,
International springauction, 25 May 1994, cat no 243.
Private collection.

Liljevalchs Konsthall, Stockholm, "Zorns samlingar", 5 February - 5 March 1930, cat no 151, wrongly dated to 1919 (illustrated full page).
Liljevalchs Konsthall, Stockholm, "Anders Zorn. Minnesutställning", 1 March - 6 April 1924, cat no 198a (under the title "Skärgårdsblommor" and wrongly dated to 1919).

Albert Engström, "Anders Zorn", 1928, illustrated full page, page 193.
Gerda Boëthius, "ZORN -Tecknaren, Målaren, Etsaren, Skulptören", 1949, (erroneously) catalogued under the year 1919, page 555 (under the title "Skärgårdsblommor").

Anders Zorn, born in Mora in 1860, showed artistic talent from a young age. In 1875, he traveled to Stockholm and became a student at the then Slöjdskolan (now Tekniska högskolan) in Stockholm, and shortly after, he joined the Royal Academy of Fine Arts. Initially, Zorn had aspirations of becoming a sculptor, but soon watercolor painting took over, becoming his primary medium until 1887. At the student exhibition in 1880, Zorn had his breakthrough with the watercolor painting "I sorg." The following year, he gained international acclaim as a portrait painter. His watercolor painting reached its pinnacle during this period, and his most famous work from this time is "Vårt dagliga bröd” from 1886. Shortly thereafter, Zorn transitioned to oil painting, which was met with immediate success. Zorn's reputation mainly rested on his portrait art, and he portrayed many notable figures, including presidents. For instance, he created an etching of Theodore Roosevelt. His etchings significantly contributed to his success. In the late 1880s, Zorn began working in the genre that would increasingly become his trademark: nude figures in outdoor settings. He had long been fascinated by the movement of water and the reflections of light on its surface. Now, he added the complexity of placing a model near or in the water, aiming to depict a synthesis between nature and humanity. In 1896, Zorn and his wife moved back to Sweden and settled in Zorngården in Mora. This move sparked a renewed interest in his homeland, which would be reflected in his future paintings. Among the artist's scenes from the Mora region, portraying its local customs and ancient traditions, "Midsommardansen" holds the highest value according to Zorn himself. Today, the painting can be found at the National Museum.