Olof Thunman

The auction's current painting reflects the deep love Olof Thunman had for the Swedish nature. He devoted large parts of his artistic career to depicting the lyrical beauty of the Uppland landscape, both in visual art and poetry. Thunman studied at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts from 1902 to 1906 alongside the fairy-tale artist John Bauer, and one can see the national romantic and symbolist spirit that characterised the culture around the turn of the century influencing both of their artistic practices. In 1905, the "Artists' League" was formed in Uppsala, which included both Olof Thunman and John Bauer. The group consisted of young artists from the Academy who shared an interest in nature mysticism and ancient Norse mythology.

Olof Thunman's national romantic imagery is combined with distinctly Japonist elements. Japonism was a cultural movement that spread across Europe during the second half of the 19th century, prompted by Japan's opening of its borders to the outside world in 1854. Japanese objects spread to the Western world, creating a strong interest in the country's culture. Swedish artists who were in France in the 1880s came into contact with Japanese visual art (including woodblock prints), and this left clear marks on their art. Among these artists was the national painter Carl Larsson, who wrote in 1919, "as an artist, Japan is my homeland."