After study trips to, among others, Paris and Italy, Oscar Björck arrived in Skagen, Denmark, in 1882. There, he was captivated by the special light and the modern art movements. Björck became part of the artist colony of Skagen and was the Swedish artist who stayed the longest. He was particularly influenced by Peder Severin Krøyer's work and plein air technique, and they became good friends. Together, they set up a studio in the old granary in Brøndum. In 1888, Björck visited Skagen for the last time and returned to settle in Sweden.

Oscar Björck was a professor at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts from 1898 to 1925 and also became one of Sweden's most sought-after portraitists in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The collections at the Skagen Museum include 14 works by Björck.