Bruno Liljefors
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Flying seagulls.
On verso estate stamp. Panel 32.5 x 41 cm.
Provenance
The artist's estate, no 423.
More information
Liljefors has executed three similar studies of seagulls of the same size, all of which were part of his estate. In addition to the auctions painting, an oil painting was sold at Stockholms Auktionsverk on October 11, 2016, no. 420224 (fig. 2), and a painting sold at Stockholms Auktionsverk on January 3, 2021, no. 861247 (fig. 3).
The paintings, executed around 1907, provide a fascinating insight into Liljefors' working method. Liljefors has carefully studied the wing positions of the flying seagulls from the front, below, and from the side. By depicting them against a cloudy sky, the focus is on the wing positions of the seagulls, while the neutral sky creates a connection between the three paintings.
Artist
Bruno Liljefors is the Swedish artist best known for his nature and animal motifs, especially in dramatic situations. Liljefors started with studies at the Academy of Arts in 1879, and continued 1882 in Düsseldorf where the studies revolved around animal painting. The journey then continued to Venice, Rome, Naples, Paris and Grez. Once back in Sweden, he began to draw and paint animals, especially cats and small birds, from the beginning in intimate interaction with nature. He then moved on to broader depictions of wild animals and nature, of seascapes with seabirds and of dramatic scenes of battles between birds. Liljefors is known as our country's foremost animal painter with a large production. Liljefors depicted, in contrast to the "idyllic" animal painting, the animals everyday life with a focus on movement, anatomy and their adaptation to the landscape. This is where the greatness of his painting lies, in the ability to show the animals in their proper environment. He has achieved this by hunting and observing. Well-known works of art are the paintings "Rävfamilj" (1886) and "Havsörnar" (1897), as well as the sculpture "Lek" (1930) at Stockholm Stadium. Liljefors is mainly represented at the National Museum, Waldemarsudde and the Thielska gallery in Stockholm.
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