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Rolf MellströmNordic Light over the Forest, with Eurasian Woodcocks1917
1917
$4,374.02
£3,263.75
€3,700
CA$6,085.90
A$6,810.27
CHF 3,542.78
MX$82,058.53
NOK 44,601.93
SEK 42,141.39
DKK 28,170.91
About the Item
A nordic light nocturnal scene by Rolf Mellström (1896–1953)
Two Eurasian woodcocks cross above the dark forest, their compact bodies reading as quick silhouettes against a late blue dusk. Executed in the style often referred to as Nordic light, a style of art that emphasizes the unique qualities of light in the Nordic region, often characterized by its softness, diffused nature, and connection to the natural environment where mood, atmosphere, and the subtleties of shifting light play as central a role as the motif itself. Signed and dated “R. Mellström 1917,” oil on canvas.
Size of canvas is 50 x 65 cm.
Rolf Mellström was born in Stockholm in 1896 and died in 1953. He studied at Caleb Althin’s painting school, Gunnar Hallström’s school, and for a period between 1912-1915 under Bruno Liljefors, the most important and probably most influential Swedish wildlife painter of the late nineteenth and early twentieth century. Through Liljefors he came into contact with Anders Zorn, Albert Engström, J.A.G. Acke, and Prince Eugen, also very important Swedish artists of the time.
Mellström traveled extensively in pursuit of new motifs—visiting Denmark, Scotland, the Faroe Islands, Germany, Italy, Tunisia, Belgium, France, and the Åland Islands. His paintings most often depict animals in landscape and coastal environments, especially seabirds, but always in harmony with the larger mood of nature. Unlike many wildlife painters, he often placed his animals small within the scene, emphasizing atmosphere and setting over anatomical detail.
His early canvases from the 1910s are particularly powerful. In 1916 he produced nocturnal scenes with raptors, filled with a sense of mystery. Already in 1918 he painted Flying Eiders, today in Gothenburg Artmuseum, showing his remarkable ability to combine movement, air, and water into a single tonal harmony.
In the present work from 1917, which is from the same period, one can see Mellströms influences from his teacher Bruno Liljefors. He was only 21 years old at the time and and during this period and some further years on he was at his best.
Exhibitions and illustration
Mellström exhibited in Sweden, including with Sveriges Allmänna Konstförening, and also took part in international exhibitions in Los Angeles and Pittsburgh. He was also active as an illustrator.
His works are held in Göteborgs konstmuseum Gothenburg's Art museum, Sörmlands museum, Moderna museet (Modern museum of art) , Norrköpings konstmuseum, and Museum Prins Eugens Waldemarsudde, as well as earlier acquisitions by museums in Los Angeles and New York.
Nordic light
Mellström’s work belongs to the tradition often described as Nordic light painting, where artists from Sweden, Denmark, and Finland explored the shifting tonalities of northern light—long twilights, silvery overcast skies, and sudden gleams across water. In Mellström’s case, the motif of birds in flight against sea or sky became a metaphor for fleeting moments of clarity, caught in the endless transitions of light.
The Eurasian woodcock—morkulla in Swedish—has long been a bird of twilight. In spring, at dusk, their slow wingbeats and muted calls signal the change of light. Hunters and poets alike have waited for the moment when the first birds cross the treetops, shadows against the sky. Mellström’s 1917 painting captures exactly this instant: the quiet forest deepens, and with the passing of two dark silhouettes the evening suddenly takes on its full mystery.
- Creator:Rolf Mellström (1896 - 1953, Swedish)
- Creation Year:1917
- Dimensions:Height: 24.81 in (63 cm)Width: 30.71 in (78 cm)Depth: 1.58 in (4 cm)
- Medium:
- Movement & Style:
- Period:
- Condition:In overall good condition. A light surface cleaning is recommended and is included in the price if wished for.
- Gallery Location:Stockholm, SE
- Reference Number:1stDibs: LU2608216814502
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