Anders Zorn
"Omorgnad - interiör med naken kulla, Örjas Ida"
Signed Zorn. Executed 1905. Canvas 62 x 52 cm.
Provenance
Carl Fredrik Liljevalch, Stockholm.
Private collection.
Exhibitions
Leipziger Kunstverein, no 3512.
Liljevalchs konsthall, "Minnesutställning", 1924, cat no. 134.
Literature
Böethius, "Zorn - människan och konstnären", 1965, p 175 and illustrated with plate p. 143.
More information
From the notes of Gerda Böethius:
"In 1903, Zorn acquired a loft from the 16th century and set it up next to the old studio at Zorngården. He now got a variety of new lighting options, which capitvated him and his brush through the years. A small four-pass slit in the outer wall and the secondary light from the corridor was the only light sources. There was no fireplace, nor did he arrange with with skylights. All paintings in the loft or in which the loft bed are included have been painted there and it is with the concentrated light rays from the four-pass window that he brings out the flickering light in 'Omorgnad' "
Artist
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.
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