DOI Heft:
No. 236 (November 1912)
DOI Artikel:Gauffin, Axel: Anders Zorn's recent paintings and sculpture
DOI Seite / Zitierlink: https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.21158#0117
Anders Zorn
phase of Zorn’s art with the two magnificent
paintings from 1889 which were also exhibited.
One of them is an old acquaintance, the artist’s
celebrated portrait of Coquelin cadet, from Mr.
Thorsten Laurin’s collection, a genial, sketch-like,
instantaneous picture of the great actor, revealing
the shyness of genius and the complaisance of the
man of the world. The other is a canvas which is
as good as hitherto unknown, an interior with five
figures, Baking in Mora. It was sold in France
shortly after it was completed, and has only quite
lately come to light again and been brought to
PORTRAIT OF COQUELIN CADET
(In the collectio7i of Thorsten Laurin, Esq.
Sweden by one of our most industrious younger
collectors, Mr. Piltz. The intricate problem which
here confronted the artist has been solved by him
with astounding confidence ; the child in the fore-
ground is the only thing that does not breathe the
air of the cottage ; the other figures are full of life
and activity, in spite of all the ruthless fore-
shortening and reflected lights.
In spite of that advertisement of his labours as a
sculptor which is seen in his portrait of himself in
the Uffizi Gallery at Florence (the picture shows
him engaged in modelling his wife’s bust), there
are certainly many of
Zorn’s admirers who are
not aware that the great
artist and etcher is an ex-
ceedingly skilful sculptor
too. In his exhibition he
had two items; one, a
woman’s figure, Alma, and
the other an equestrian
statuette of a popular
Swedish hero of mediaeval
times, Engelbrekt, which
would have been sufficient
to have assured him a
name in the province of
Swedish sculpture. Alma
is a female figure executed
in red clay, which in its
plastic form translates the
sculptor’s ideal of womanly
beauty, such as we have
learned to know it in his
work with the brush; it is
a miracle of graceful play-
fulness. In character and
in the movement-motif, the
other work, Engelbrekt, has
something in common
with the artist’s statue of
Gustaf Vasa at Mora. In
both instances the tension
of soul has an unconscious
reflection in the constrained
extension of the muscles.
Engelbrekt possesses, per-
haps, a more delicate treat-
ment of form than the first
statuette; it awakens a
desire to touch and
caress the sinuous sur-
face ; one can grasp with
BY ANDERS ZORN ’ 6 r
) the eye the generous,
95
phase of Zorn’s art with the two magnificent
paintings from 1889 which were also exhibited.
One of them is an old acquaintance, the artist’s
celebrated portrait of Coquelin cadet, from Mr.
Thorsten Laurin’s collection, a genial, sketch-like,
instantaneous picture of the great actor, revealing
the shyness of genius and the complaisance of the
man of the world. The other is a canvas which is
as good as hitherto unknown, an interior with five
figures, Baking in Mora. It was sold in France
shortly after it was completed, and has only quite
lately come to light again and been brought to
PORTRAIT OF COQUELIN CADET
(In the collectio7i of Thorsten Laurin, Esq.
Sweden by one of our most industrious younger
collectors, Mr. Piltz. The intricate problem which
here confronted the artist has been solved by him
with astounding confidence ; the child in the fore-
ground is the only thing that does not breathe the
air of the cottage ; the other figures are full of life
and activity, in spite of all the ruthless fore-
shortening and reflected lights.
In spite of that advertisement of his labours as a
sculptor which is seen in his portrait of himself in
the Uffizi Gallery at Florence (the picture shows
him engaged in modelling his wife’s bust), there
are certainly many of
Zorn’s admirers who are
not aware that the great
artist and etcher is an ex-
ceedingly skilful sculptor
too. In his exhibition he
had two items; one, a
woman’s figure, Alma, and
the other an equestrian
statuette of a popular
Swedish hero of mediaeval
times, Engelbrekt, which
would have been sufficient
to have assured him a
name in the province of
Swedish sculpture. Alma
is a female figure executed
in red clay, which in its
plastic form translates the
sculptor’s ideal of womanly
beauty, such as we have
learned to know it in his
work with the brush; it is
a miracle of graceful play-
fulness. In character and
in the movement-motif, the
other work, Engelbrekt, has
something in common
with the artist’s statue of
Gustaf Vasa at Mora. In
both instances the tension
of soul has an unconscious
reflection in the constrained
extension of the muscles.
Engelbrekt possesses, per-
haps, a more delicate treat-
ment of form than the first
statuette; it awakens a
desire to touch and
caress the sinuous sur-
face ; one can grasp with
BY ANDERS ZORN ’ 6 r
) the eye the generous,
95