Ode to a Master

Carl Larsson has long been a favorite artist of mine. The colors are just amazing, but I also had a coloring book as a child, obviously in black and white, and it was fascinating. So what is it? The glimpse into his world? The incredibly wonderful detail in each piece? I don't know. I love it all.


Flower Window


Carpenter Hellberg's Children

And if you like those, check out this one - what would you do for those shoes? (slipper?) And the headscarf! And the apron! Those colors! And check out this pinafore! When I have children, I have a strong premonition that Carl Larsson will be highly referenced...

And bedrooms. For years, a certain amazing cupboard bed (of which I cannot find a photo - I just spent a good half hour searching people - where can it be?) was my idea of the absolutely perfect place to dream, but I just saw this one and I have to say, those curtains...? embroidered canopy? Built in benches? (having fun with the links? oh dear!)

I think I figured it out. The reason I love Carl Larsson so much is that his paintings are so inviting. I feel that I could just move in. And I have a feeling that I would not regret it.

It seems that more and more, the art I love somehow relates to how I want to live. As I grow older, I begin to think more about why it is that certain artwork speaks to me. Pieces that I have loved for years, I begin to look at again and more closely, trying to discern what these preferences tell me - about the choices I make in my own artwork, my surroundings, and other, unexpected, aspects of my life.

Carl Larsson's world is something for which I will continue to strive.

Images from Scandinavian Treasures