After answering an advert in the Swedish newspaper Hallandsposten in the early 1920s, Esaias Thorén got to know Sven Jonson. The two aspiring artists then saved up enough money to start studying at Wilhelmson's painting school in Stockholm in 1925.

Most of all, however, they were attracted to Paris, where they arrived in the autumn of 1926 to settle in the artists' quarter in Montparnasse. Despite their frugality, however, the travelling money only lasted four months before it was time to return to Sweden. Before that, however, Jonson and Thorén took part in an exhibition at the ‘Maison Watteau’ in January 1927. The positive review of the exhibition stated: ‘They do not lack temperament, the technical skill is surprisingly advanced. I think the star of promise shines over both young people...’.

After returning home, Jonson and Thorén established a combined advertising studio and painting school at their home in Halmstad: ‘An attic room was rented and in the spring of 1927 “’Modern reklam” was established, in which Axel [Olson] also participated [...] There was a lot of partying and the humour radiated from the hosts of the place. Lorentzon was now at home in Halmstad and participated in the activities’ (Viveka Bosson,’Halmstadgruppen. Ett kraftfält i svensk 1900-talskonst’, 2009).