Carl Larsson: Portfolio

TASCHEN (ED.)

Born in Stockholm in 1853, Carl Larsson was one of the leading figures in a generation of painters which was prompted by the example of French Impressionism to rebel against the backwardness of the Stockholm Academy. After a prolonged period of study in Paris, he soon found a personal style, which was indebted in equal measure to both traditionalism and modernism. His work is marked by a distinctive blending of elements from the Neo-Rococo -in vogue at the time -Japanese prints and art nouveau. Larsson was often inspired in his choice of subjects by the naïve and cheerful nature of folk art. Bright colors and delicate, skillfully executed lines are typical features ofhis work. His fame rests above all on his watercolors of idyllic scenes and interiors, whose central themes are always either domestic bliss or the humble life of the peasant. In contrast to the world of his pictures, the artist´s private life was marked by deprivations and misfortune. He grew up in Stockholm´s poor quarter and at a young age was already familiar with all of life´s hardships. His father must have been a ne´er-do-well, for it was his wife who supported the family with her job as a laundress. The young Larsson was plagued by depressions and self-doubts. Karin Bergoo, a young painter whom he married in 1883, finally brought the calming influence into his life that was also so beneficial for his work.