Carl Larsson
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Portrait of Karl Starbäck
Certified by Karin Larsson in attached letter (see image). Executed in 1917. Canvas 46 x 34 cm.
Provenance
Purchased directly by from the artist
Thence by descent.
Exhibitions
Liljevalchs konsthall, Stockholm, "Minnesutställning. Carl Larsson", 6 March - 5 April, 1920, cat. no. 336
Literature
Ulwa Neergaard, "Carl Larsson, signerat med pensel och penna", 1999, mentioned p. 582 listed in the catalogue supplement under the year 1917, cat. no. 1709
More information
In 1917, Carl and Karin Larsson's two daughters, Lisbeth and Brita, serve as physiotherapists in war-torn Hamburg. At this time, Carl writes a letter to them, mentioning the portraits he is currently working on. In the letter, he mentions the current portrait for auction, saying: "I was planning to return home the day after tomorrow [from a visit to Consul General Hagelin], but Lydia is persuading me to stay another week to paint a free portrait of Professor C. Starbäck, which I foolishly promised him."
He concludes the letter with: "Send my warm regards to Gustav [Britas' betrothed]! Now I'm going out to 'roll a hat' with Carl Laurin... Stay strong, my dear children!"
Artist
Carl Larsson is considered one of the greatest Swedish artists of all time. He was born in Gamla Stan in Stockholm and studied at the Royal Academy of Arts in the years 1866-76. After his studies in Stockholm, he traveled to France and settled in Grèz-sur-Loing. There he mainly painted garden motifs. In France, he met his future wife Karin Bergöö, who was also an artist and came to mean a lot for his artistry. Already during his student years, he made a living as a photo retoucher and cartoonist in the press. It was also during his studies that Larsson got to know Anders Zorn and Bruno Liljefors, together the three are usually called the ABC artists. At the end of the 1880s, Carl and Karin were given "Lilla Hyttnäs" in Sundborn outside Falun by Karin's father, and this is where Larsson's most famous watercolors depicting his family were created. The motifs often depict sunny landscapes with children, crayfish fishing, meals in the green and interior scenes. Larsson is represented, among other, in the National Museum, where "Gustav Vasas intåg i Stockholm" and "Midvinterblot" fills the stairwell. Represented mainly at the National Museum in Stockholm and at the Gothenburg Art Museum.
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