Einar Jolin

Einar Jolin (1890 – 1976) was a Swedish painter best known for his decorative and slightly naïve Expressionist style. After studies in Stockholm, Jolin and his artist friend Isaac Grünewald traveled to France for further studies at the Académie Matisse in Paris, a private school in which Matisse instructed young artists. The group included many Swedish artists, among them Sigrid Hjertén, Isaac Grünewald, and Edward Hald. Jolin would stay in Paris from 1908 to the outbreak of World War I 1914 when he returned to Sweden.
Jolin painted portraits, still lifes, and cityscapes, always accentuating what he called "the beautiful" in his motifs. He mainly worked in oils and watercolors, using delicate brush strokes and light colors. His most noted works are his paintings of Stockholm during the 1910s and 20s in his trademark naïve style.
Jolin traveled extensively during his career, collecting impressions and inspiration for his paintings. After World War I he visited North Africa and Spain, and then on to India, Africa and the West Indies. He was also influenced by his studies of Oriental art, especially Persian and Indian miniatures.
In 1954, Einar Jolin toured the United States with an exhibition, during which the Secretary-General of the United Nations, Dag Hammarskjöld, purchased a painting for his office in the UN building.