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Carl Larsson Biography
Swedish Naturalist painter, illustrator,
printmaker, watercolorist & draftsman
born 1853 - died 1919
Also known as: Carl Olof Larsson.
Carl Larsson (May 28, 1853 -
January 22, 1919) was a Swedish painter and
interior designer.
"Potato harvesting" (Potatisplockning),
painting by Carl Larsson |
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The Swedish artist Carl Larsson was born in
'Gamla stan', the old town in Stockholm, on
May 28, 1853. His parents were extremely
poor and his childhood was sad and
miserable. However, at the age of thirteen
his teacher at the school for poor children
urged him to seek entry into the 'principskola'
of the Royal Swedish Academy of Art where
Carl Larsson also got accepted. The first years at the
'principskola' he felt socially inferior,
confused and shy. In 1869, sixteen years
old, Carl Larsson got promoted to the 'antique school'
of the same academy. There he
became more sure of himself and he even
became a central figure in student life.
After several years as illustrator for
books, magazines and newspapers he
also spent several rather frustrating years
in Paris as a hardworking artist without any
success.
The turning point in his life
came the year 1882 when Carl Larsson in Grez, a
Scandinavian artist colony outside Paris,
met Karin Bergöö (1859-1928), who soon
should be his wife. One could almost call it
a metamorphose in his life. In Grez some of most
important Carl Larsson paintings were painted - now in water-colour and
very different from the more pretentious oil painting technique.
Through his Swiss paintings and his
books this house has been one of the most
famous artist-homes in the world. The
descendants of Carl and Karin Larsson now
own this house and they are happy to be able
to keep the house open for tourists each
summer from May until October.
Carl Larsson considered his monumental
works, for instance the frescos in schools,
museums and other public buildings, to be
most important Carl Larsson paintings. His last
monumental work 'Midvinterblot' (Midwinter
Sacrifice) signed in 1915 and intended for
the last wall in the staircase of the
National Museum in Stockholm - which was not
yet decorated by Carl Larsson - was refused
by the board of the museum. In his memoirs
'Jag' ("I")-published after the death of
him - declared his bitterness
and disappointment with this reverse against
the painting himself considered to be the
crown on Carl Larsson painting as an artist. In his
memoirs 'Jag' he wrote: "The fate
of the 'Midwinter Sacrifice' broke me ! This
I admit with a dark anger. And still, it was
probably the best thing that could happen,
for now my intuition tells me -again- that
with all its weakness, this painting will
once be honoured with far better placement
after my death." |
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