DOI Heft:
No. 138 (September, 1904)
DOI Artikel:Frykholm, Sunny: The imaginative and realistic art of Carl Larsson
DOI Seite / Zitierlink: https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.19882#0324
Carl Larsson
because he disliked the
usual "dry way" of paint-
ing in water-colour. This
adoption of a new method
was therefore a sequence
of that strongly marked
individuality to which we
have alluded.
There is nothing brilliant
or dashing in his art of
this period ; its keynote
is calm rest in idyllic
surroundings. But in the
course of years this idyll
becomes changed almost
into caricature, and we
begin with regret to ob-
serve that the artist is apt
corner of c LARSSOn's studio by c. LARSSON , ■ r.
to make a grin at reality.
We tire of his everlasting
of an artist, we have, however, in this case as depicting of a home life void of interest to our-
in so many others, to enquire oil est la femme, selves, in spite of the general public's applause,
and once more Larsson's own good-natured ex- and feel sympathy with his little girls who cry
planation serves us best, when he declares that because "father paints them so ugly." Then a
the principal reason why he abandoned imaginative sudden change takes place ; the artist seems
art at this time and turned to reality, was that he to feel that he has come too near the reality he
"fell in love and became sound and sane." In formerly despised, and he saves his art by
this new stage of his development we soon see developing a new style, in which realism is subor-
him the acknowleged leader of the realistic art- dinated to decorative principles. In portraiture,
movement of the day. It was in this line, his style becomes one of refinement,
expressive of the love for reality felt by his con- It might be supposed that in his unceasing
temporaries, that Larsson was to gain fame and endeavours to create new styles he would have
laurels at numerous art exhibitions, in Europe and found it necessary gradually to develop them by
in America, but especially
in Germany and in Paris.
Nevertheless, though he ps^ -------- —M ' "W^f
had now submitted to a j1! 'Jjp!
formula in the choosing of ■ki' ' V» jf\ jM'^
his motives, he remained
free in his style.
Instead of oil, which
he made use of for his
imaginative work, he now [agM Ipfej^-^B
painted exclusively in
water - colours, and his UBBsH
pictures from this time Hp^fl^K^l. Jl
charm the beholder with I|w^'~ *wl
their soft and delicate HllVi livMK
colouring, produced by a |Hb\M \\ yHE
method consisting in apply- Hh\| i \V»^^ ^
ing the colours unusually M^ck vfll&i'
wet. Uninfluenced by any
school or master he worked t^^^^mn. —------™ -^■b
out this style of his own corner of c. larsson's studio from a coloured drawing by c. larsson
300
because he disliked the
usual "dry way" of paint-
ing in water-colour. This
adoption of a new method
was therefore a sequence
of that strongly marked
individuality to which we
have alluded.
There is nothing brilliant
or dashing in his art of
this period ; its keynote
is calm rest in idyllic
surroundings. But in the
course of years this idyll
becomes changed almost
into caricature, and we
begin with regret to ob-
serve that the artist is apt
corner of c LARSSOn's studio by c. LARSSON , ■ r.
to make a grin at reality.
We tire of his everlasting
of an artist, we have, however, in this case as depicting of a home life void of interest to our-
in so many others, to enquire oil est la femme, selves, in spite of the general public's applause,
and once more Larsson's own good-natured ex- and feel sympathy with his little girls who cry
planation serves us best, when he declares that because "father paints them so ugly." Then a
the principal reason why he abandoned imaginative sudden change takes place ; the artist seems
art at this time and turned to reality, was that he to feel that he has come too near the reality he
"fell in love and became sound and sane." In formerly despised, and he saves his art by
this new stage of his development we soon see developing a new style, in which realism is subor-
him the acknowleged leader of the realistic art- dinated to decorative principles. In portraiture,
movement of the day. It was in this line, his style becomes one of refinement,
expressive of the love for reality felt by his con- It might be supposed that in his unceasing
temporaries, that Larsson was to gain fame and endeavours to create new styles he would have
laurels at numerous art exhibitions, in Europe and found it necessary gradually to develop them by
in America, but especially
in Germany and in Paris.
Nevertheless, though he ps^ -------- —M ' "W^f
had now submitted to a j1! 'Jjp!
formula in the choosing of ■ki' ' V» jf\ jM'^
his motives, he remained
free in his style.
Instead of oil, which
he made use of for his
imaginative work, he now [agM Ipfej^-^B
painted exclusively in
water - colours, and his UBBsH
pictures from this time Hp^fl^K^l. Jl
charm the beholder with I|w^'~ *wl
their soft and delicate HllVi livMK
colouring, produced by a |Hb\M \\ yHE
method consisting in apply- Hh\| i \V»^^ ^
ing the colours unusually M^ck vfll&i'
wet. Uninfluenced by any
school or master he worked t^^^^mn. —------™ -^■b
out this style of his own corner of c. larsson's studio from a coloured drawing by c. larsson
300