Helmer Osslund

In December 1894, the artist Helmer Osslund received a letter from Karl Pettersson, also known as "Kalle P", who was a former colleague at the Gustavsbergs porcelain factory. Pettersson was now working at a porcelain factory in Bonn, Germany, and invited Osslund to visit. At that time, Osslund was living in Paris, having moved there in February of the same year to study intermittently at the Académie Colarossi, where many of his Scandinavian artist colleagues had previously studied. Through the school, Osslund came into contact with the then still relatively unknown artist Paul Gauguin, and the Swede had him as a teacher for six to eight weeks during February-April 1894. Despite the short period with Gauguin, the Frenchman's synthetism made a significant impression on Osslund.

Osslund accepted Pettersson's invitation and travelled to Bonn around Christmas time. He received commissions for decorations at the porcelain factory and painted several landscape paintings, including the current work up for auction. He stayed until the autumn of 1895 when he received an offer to join a barge down the Rhine River to Rotterdam.