Zorn was recognised early on as one of our country’s foremost artists. No technique was unfamiliar to him; he worked just as comfortably with watercolours, wash techniques, or oil painting. Etching also attracted this virtuoso, and his etchings contributed greatly to his success. With Rembrandt as a role model, he developed a technique in which he built up the image using clusters of lines. His first etching was created in London in 1883. Axel Herman Hägg, then active in London, was Zorn’s teacher in this specialised technique. Hägg was the person Zorn depicted in his first etching. Zorn quickly mastered the art of etching, and art experts were soon in agreement that Rembrandt had now found his equal.

Zorn’s reputation as an etcher spread across the world. Before long, his etchings could be found in major world cities throughout Europe and the United States. Zorn produced 289 different etchings, including portraits, genre scenes, and nude studies. He is considered one of the greatest Swedish artists of all time and gained international acclaim. This was especially true in the United States, where he was commissioned as a portrait painter by, among others, presidents: Grover Cleveland in 1899, Theodore Roosevelt in 1905, and William H. Taft in 1911. Zorn also portrayed notable Swedish figures, such as King Oscar II in 1898, King Gustaf V in 1909, Queen Dowager Sophia in 1909, Prince Eugen in 1891, fellow artist Carl Larsson in 1897, and August Strindberg in 1910. Zorn is perhaps best known to the general public for his many nude studies.