Anders Zorn, "August Saint Gaudens I".

"August Saint Gaudens I"

Etching, 1897, signed in pencil. Plate 19.9 x 13.8 cm.

Not examined out of the frame.

Location

Västberga Allé 3, Hägersten - V405

Literature

Asplund 113, Hjert & Hjert 75.

More information

Augustus (August) Saint-Gaudens, born on March 1, 1848, in Dublin, died on August 3, 1907, in Cornish, New Hampshire, was an American sculptor.

Saint-Gaudens' father was French, his mother Irish; the family moved to North America during his childhood. He studied in Paris from 1867 to 1870 under Jouffroy and Mercié, accompanied the latter to Italy, stayed there for three years, and then worked in the United States, where he became the country's foremost representative of modern sculpture. His major works in the monumental field include the monument to David Farragut in New York, equestrian statues of Generals Logan (Chicago), Shaw (Boston), and Sherman (New York), all powerful and realistic artworks. Additionally, he created monuments to Lincoln (in Chicago) and Deacon Chapin (in Springfield). He also produced solid works in the field of the nude. Nevertheless, he achieved his very best in relief and plaque work—an exquisite example is the large bronze relief Amor caritas (Luxembourg Museum, Paris). His praise and works are discussed in a monograph by Royal Cortissoz (Boston, 1908).

More about Anders Zorn

Anders Zorn, born in Mora in 1860, showed artistic talent from a young age. In 1875, he traveled to Stockholm and became a student at the then Slöjdskolan (now Tekniska högskolan) in Stockholm, and shortly after, he joined the Royal Academy of Fine Arts. Initially, Zorn had aspirations of becoming a sculptor, but soon watercolor painting took over, becoming his primary medium until 1887. At the student exhibition in 1880, Zorn had his breakthrough with the watercolor painting "I sorg." The following year, he gained international acclaim as a portrait painter. His watercolor painting reached its pinnacle during this period, and his most famous work from this time is "Vårt dagliga bröd” from 1886. Shortly thereafter, Zorn transitioned to oil painting, which was met with immediate success. Zorn's reputation mainly rested on his portrait art, and he portrayed many notable figures, including presidents. For instance, he created an etching of Theodore Roosevelt. His etchings significantly contributed to his success. In the late 1880s, Zorn began working in the genre that would increasingly become his trademark: nude figures in outdoor settings. He had long been fascinated by the movement of water and the reflections of light on its surface. Now, he added the complexity of placing a model near or in the water, aiming to depict a synthesis between nature and humanity. In 1896, Zorn and his wife moved back to Sweden and settled in Zorngården in Mora. This move sparked a renewed interest in his homeland, which would be reflected in his future paintings. Among the artist's scenes from the Mora region, portraying its local customs and ancient traditions, "Midsommardansen" holds the highest value according to Zorn himself. Today, the painting can be found at the National Museum.

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