Important Spring Sale presents: Bruno Liljefors – Eiders by the sea

Inspired by impressionist play of light

In Bruno Liljefors' extensive production, his panoramas have a special position. The word panorama is Greek and combines the words pan (the whole, everything, the field of action of the God Pan) and horma (sight) and are exactly the concepts that saturate Bruno Liljefors' ideological attitude to his world of motives. The artist writes that "organic life, especially the animal, is the culmination of creation and movement is the highest expression of wildlife".

In 1894 Liljefors went to Stockholm's northern archipelago with among others Albert Engström, Gustaf Ankarcrona and J.A.G Acke. The encounter with that part of nature strongly contrasted with the Uppland landscape he knew so well. This new place required new challenges from Liljefors, and his palette suddenly got sharper tones, and the brushstrokes could become freer. Liljefors animal painting was strongly rooted in science, but the encounter with the archipelago gave the artist a chance to maintain the scientific observance and, at the same time, explore the possibilities of light painting inspired by the French Impressionists. The auction's painting shows the sea band and its life in a crisp blue-tinted palette, and it is clear that the artist carefully depicted both the birdlife and the noise of the waves.