Bruno Liljefors

Bruno Liljefors delved deeply into nature and its beauty, which is reflected in his works that pay homage to the Swedish countryside and its rich fauna. Swans, with their elegance and majestic presence, captured Liljefors' interest and became a recurring motif in his artistry. By painting swans in various situations and environments—from tranquil waters to stormy lakes—Liljefors managed to capture their physical beauty. With artistic skill, he used brush strokes to bring to life the movements of the swans and their interaction with the surrounding nature.

In the painting currently up for auction, symbolic elements are suggested in the twilight landscape. Symbolism was an artistic movement that gained prominence in Sweden during the 1890s, striving to capture the inner emotional life and imagination. This had a significant impact on Swedish landscape painting, which at the turn of the 20th century was characterized by atmospheric and often esoteric elements. About the current painting, Allan Ellenius writes: “Moods from the turn of the century resonate in the dark landscape beneath the descending swans. The silhouettes of the bird bodies against the evening sky, combined with the bright surfaces of the wings against the forest edge and the desolate marshes, capture the mood over land and water.”