Mina Carlson-Bredberg was an artist who was active during the decades around 1900. Mina Carlson-Bredberg was born in Gothenburg in 1857. Her family was otherwise well rooted in wealthy circles in Stockholm. Her father Henrik Vilhelm Bredberg was a judge in the Court of Appeal and her mother Josefina Lovisa, née Smerling, was the daughter… Continue reading At the piano
Wheat and Wormwood
Hilma af Klint was one of the first women to train at Konstakademin (the academy of art) in Stockholm. She was a pioneer of abstract art. Hilma af Klint was born at Karlberg castle in 1862 into a naval family. She was the niece of naval officer and cartographer Gustaf af Klint, whilst her father… Continue reading Wheat and Wormwood
The Red Cross
Jenny Nyström was an artist and an illustrator. She was the first woman in Sweden to be awarded a royal medal for her historically-themed painting. Her legacy was established by the popularity of her depictions of “tomte” (a mythological creature often associated with Christmas). Jenny Nyström was born in Kalmar. She was the daughter of… Continue reading The Red Cross
Swedish modernist avant-garde movement
Sigrid Hjertén was an artist who was one of the leading figures of the Swedish modernist avant-garde movement. She was particularly acclaimed for her expressive use of colour. Sigrid Hjertén was born in 1885 and grew up in Sundsvall. Her mother, Maria Rahm, belonged to a well-to-do family from the town. Her maternal uncle Johan… Continue reading Swedish modernist avant-garde movement
Tripod with Lid
Alice Nordin was the leading female sculptor at the turn of the twentieth century. She was the first woman to hold an exhibition dedicated to sculpture in 1911. Alice Nordin grew up in a home where drawing was a daily pastime. At age 14 she started at the technical school for female apprentices in Stockholm.… Continue reading Tripod with Lid
The Graveyard in the Mountains
Anna Boberg was a painter and a versatile artist who also created ceramic-, glass- and textile-art. A defining moment in her life was coming face to face with the arctic landscape of Lofoten when she was in her 30s. Anna Boberg was brought up in Stockholm in an upper middle-class family. Her father, architect and… Continue reading The Graveyard in the Mountains
A Rain Shower
Ellen Trotzig is often called ‘Österlens första målarinna’ (the first female painter of Österlen). She was one of the earliest artists who took her inspiration from the nature of Österlen, in Scania, and its much noted light. Ellen Trotzig was born in Malmö in 1878. Her family left Malmö when she was five years old… Continue reading A Rain Shower
The Earth
Anna Petrus-Lyttkens was a sculptor, a graphic artist, a dancer, and an craftsman. Anna Petrus-Lyttkens was born in Uppsala in 1886. She grew up in that university town. Her parents were Oskar Viktor Petersson, a professor of paediatrics, and Countess Maria Stackelberg. Anna Petrus-Lyttkens was financially independent due to her inheritance, enabling her to become… Continue reading The Earth
Swedish Modern
Karin Ageman was a designer, craftswoman and advertising and book illustrator. She designed and made the layouts for the catalogue Swedish Arts and Crafts. Swedish Modern for the World Exhibition in New York in 1939. Karin Ageman was born Karin Charlotta Pettersson in 1899 in Stockholm. Her parents were Anders Gustaf Pettersson, a naval captain,… Continue reading Swedish Modern
The Last Ray of Sunshine
Julia Beck was mainly a painter of French landscapes, but also painted portraits and became known as a talented calligrapher. Her plein air paintings were created outdoors in nature, unlike earlier landscape paintings, where initial sketches were later reworked in the studio. Julia Beck was born in Stockholm, where her father, Franz Beck, an immigrant from the… Continue reading The Last Ray of Sunshine