Skip to main content
Want more images or videos?
Request additional images or videos from the seller
1 of 9

Carl Skånberg
Garden with Blooming Chestnut Trees, France

1875

About the Item

Viggo Loos lists the painting under works from 1875 as a "Skåne farmstead," but this is likely incorrect. Skånberg was in France at that time. In this composition, he incorporates a blooming chestnut tree with red blossoms, indicating it is a sweet chestnut, a species found in France whose nuts are edible. This contrasts with the horse chestnut, more common in Sweden, with white blossoms and toxic nuts. Chestnut trees were exceedingly rare in Sweden at the time. In the 1860s, Olof Eneroth reported in Handbook of Swedish Pomology (1864–66) that chestnut trees at estates in Skåne—Tosterup, Rydsgård, and Vrams Gunnarstorp—bore fruit in warm summers. Alexandra Smirnoff, in a 1902 reissue of Eneroth’s book, described a young chestnut tree at Vibyholm in Södermanland yielding ripe fruit in 1873, which caused a sensation when exhibited in Vienna. Two other paintings by Skånberg with similar motifs are known, both created in France in 1875–76: Garden Interior from Aumont [-en-Halatte], stamp-signed, 29 x 41 cm, formerly in the Conrad Pineus collection, Gothenburg (exhibition catalogue, Norrköping Museum, Carl Skånberg Memorial Exhibition, September 28–October 31, 1946, no. 50) and French Farmstead, stamp-signed, 24 x 32 cm, previously in Axel Gauffin's collection (op. cit., no. 51). These works collectively support the conclusion that this painting was created in France. Skånberg, a known pipe smoker, may have depicted the pipe-smoking man in the painting as a signature element. Carl Skånberg was a pivotal figure in the breakthrough of Swedish plein-air painting. His free-spirited approach and radicalism place him alongside the early French Impressionists. Richard Bergh considered him instrumental in advancing the modern and radical direction in Swedish landscape painting. Georg Nordensvan wrote in Stockholms Dagblad, in conjunction with the Swedish Painting 1800–1885 exhibition at Liljevalchs in 1921: "The journey [in landscape painting] goes from Fahlcrantz to Skånberg and Hill, from studio compositions to direct nature studies, from dusk to light and air..." After completing his studies at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts, Skånberg traveled to Paris in the summer of 1875, continuing to Barbizon in the fall. The French landscape painting associated with Barbizon and the Fontainebleau Forest had influenced Alfred Wahlberg, and Skånberg worked there on a large canvas, Interior of Fontainebleau Forest, intended for the 1876 Philadelphia World’s Fair. When later exhibited at the Royal Academy in Stockholm, August Strindberg praised it for capturing the density of greenery and sunlight filtering through the canopy without succumbing to "mood painting" (a term then used to criticize works lacking focus on composition, shadows, or spatial depth). In Paris, Skånberg became the centerpiece of the Swedish artistic community. In 1878, Carl Larsson painted his portrait, and in 1880, Ernst Josephson created a well-known full-length portrait capturing Skånberg’s witty, sharp demeanor and self-confident presence. Skånberg was short, hunchbacked since childhood, and, in his own words, "hardly an Adonis." In early 1881, Skånberg traveled to Italy seeking relief from asthma, visiting Sicily, Venice, and Rome. In Venice, he painted one of his finest works, The Grand Canal, noted for its bold composition and gray-blue color palette, effectively evoking the rainy atmosphere of the city. The painting, gifted to Ernst Josephson and later donated to the National Museum, represents a culmination of his artistic maturity. In Italy, Skånberg also met his future wife, Ellen Hintze, in the Scandinavian Association in Rome. They married in the spring of 1882 at the Swedish Consulate in Rome, with a festive reception attended by figures such as Henrik Ibsen. Skånberg’s health deteriorated in late 1882, and he returned to Stockholm, where he passed away shortly thereafter. Ellen remarried Sven Oskar Alexander Gyllensvärd and inherited Skånberg’s estate. Many of his unsigned works were subsequently stamped with his signature. Skånberg was a trailblazer in Swedish plein-air painting. While some have noted Impressionistic tendencies in his work, there is no evidence he was deeply familiar with the Impressionists' methods or intentions; the similarities are more coincidental. Though he enjoyed some success during his lifetime, his true breakthrough came posthumously. A memorial exhibition featuring around 100 works brought widespread attention to his art, and several of his pieces were included in the Opponent Movement’s landmark 1885 exhibition. During his short life, Skånberg achieved his greatest acclaim with The Harbor of Dordrecht, exhibited at the Paris Salon in 1880 and the 1881 Scandinavian Exhibition in Gothenburg. Purchased by Pontus Fürstenberg, the work is now housed in the Gothenburg Museum of Art. Stamp-signed “CARL SKÅNBERG” painted 1875 oil on canvas unframed: 45.5 x 72.6 cm (17 7/8 x 28 5/8 in) framed: 66 x 93.5 cm (26 x 36 3/4 in) The original gilded and ornamented frame with old patina is included. Provenance: Mrs. Ellen Skånberg (1861–1950), née Hintze, later married to Gyllensvärd; Director Per Gabriel Palmquist (1865–1949), Stockholm Literature: V. Loos, Carl Skånberg – His Life and Work, Östgöta Art Association Publication, 1928, pp. 241–42, listed under 1875, no. 87, as “Farmstead. The painting depicts a Skåne farmstead with gray lime-washed buildings. By a stone wall, there are figures—a man smoking a pipe and a woman wearing a kerchief. The light green vegetation in the foreground is meticulously detailed. A large tree with a vast crown and red blossoms is silhouetted against the gray sky. In the foreground, there is a blooming rose bush.”
  • Creator:
    Carl Skånberg (1850 - 1883, Swedish)
  • Creation Year:
    1875
  • Dimensions:
    Height: 25.99 in (66 cm)Width: 36.62 in (93 cm)
  • Medium:
  • Movement & Style:
  • Period:
  • Condition:
    Recently restored by a professional art conservator. The original frame has an aged patina. When shipping this type of frame, there is always a risk that some parts may come loose and require re-gluing. The buyer should be aware of this.
  • Gallery Location:
    Stockholm, SE
  • Reference Number:
    1stDibs: LU1445215599462

More From This Seller

View All
Tranquil Reflections – Swedish Summer Landscape by Olof Arborelius
Located in Stockholm, SE
Olof Arborelius (1842-1915) Sweden Landscape, likely from the Uddevalla area oil on canvas signed O.Arb.s  unframed: 25 x 35 cm (9 7/8 x 13 3/4 in) framed: 43.5 x 53 cm (17 1/8 x 2...
Category

Early 20th Century Post-Impressionist Landscape Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Boy in a Meadow (1885) by Elias Erdtman
By Elias Erdtman
Located in Stockholm, SE
Elias Erdtman (1862-1945) Sweden Boy in a Meadow (1885) oil on canvas laid board unframed 13 x 28.5 cm (5.1 x 11.2 inches) framed 24.5 x 39 cm (approx. 9.6 x 15.4 inches) Initia...
Category

1880s Post-Impressionist Landscape Paintings

Materials

Oil, Wood Panel, Canvas

Waterfall and Timber – A View from Norrland
Located in Stockholm, SE
Provenance: Acquired directly from Katarina Gunnarsson, who inherited the painting from her mother, Barbro, the daughter of the artist. This striking landscape by Oscar Lycke depict...
Category

Early 20th Century Post-Impressionist Landscape Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil, Board

Popular Dance at Corsica, I. By Swedish Artist Dick Beer, c.1924
Located in Stockholm, SE
Dick Beer (b. London 1893 - d. Stockholm 1938) Folkliv på Korsika, I (Popular Dance at Corsica, I) oil on canvas signed Dick Beer c. 1924 canvas dimensions 88 x 100 cm Exhibited: The Royal Academy Stockholm 1973; Millesgården – Dick Beer – Impressionist & Kubist, 2012 Dick Beer was born in 1893 in London as Richard Beer, the youngest of five brothers. His father, John Beer (1853-1906), was a watercolourist who was born in Stockholm and left Sweden at the age of 17. John Beer instructed his sons in drawing and painting, among other things. A number of sketchbooks bear testimony to the boys’ talent. Dick Beer’s parents died in 1906 and 1907. Barely 15 years old, Beer arrived in Sweden as an orphan. First he lived with relatives and finally he ended up at Reverend Laurell in Västergötland. Dick Beer began his artistic studies at the Althin School of Painting in Stockholm in 1908 and continued at the Royal Academy of Arts in the autumn of 1910, but in September 1912 he broke off his studies and travelled to Paris. He rented a studio and enrolled at the Colarossi and Grande Chaumière academies. In the summer of 1913, Dick Beer travelled to Pont-Aven in Bretagne in order to paint. In September the same year, he held his first solo exhibition in Stockholm which he gave the French title Exposition des tableaux de Bretagne et autour de Paris. The exhibition proved a success. Many of the paintings were executed in a light palette in a style inspired by the impressionists. In 1914, Dick Beer undertook an extensive study trip to Italy, Tunis, Morocco and Spain, which resulted in canvases overflowing with colours and light. When the French army mobilised, he volunteered and was enlisted in the French Foreign Legion. In 1915 Dick Beer sustained severe head injuries in a grenade attack, which resulted in deafness and a nervous condition that would plague him for the rest of his life. Two of his brothers died the following year, fighting for the English army. Dick Beer was hospitalised and convalesced at Château de Rochefort. Here he started painting again, in an impressionist style, a painting dominated by blue and green hues. In 1918, Dick Beer married Ruth Öhrling, a dentist, and their son John was born later in the year. During this time, Beer began experimenting with cubist painting and created several large compositions, including the painting “The Arab Café”. In the years that followed, Dick Beer was based in Paris, where he often moved house. He was instructed by André Lhote, who encouraged his students to work freely in the studio and provided them with individual critique. Beer often travelled to Bretagne or Provence. His artist friends came from all over Europe and included Amedeo Modigliani. Dick Beer exhibited fairly regularly in Paris between 1919 and 1934 and made a name for himself in French artist circles. In the summers, Ruth regularly rented a house in the countryside, often at Lake Mälaren. She kept a large house with many models and friends and there was a lot of painting and discussions. In 1933, the couple divorced but Ruth still loved Dick...
Category

1920s Post-Impressionist Figurative Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Post-Impressionist Painting By Dick Beer, Stormy Weather in St.Arnoult, 1917
Located in Stockholm, SE
Dick Beer (b. London 1893 - d. Stockholm 1938) Title: Stormy Weather in St.Arnoult Dick Beer was born in London in 1893. His father, John Beer (1853-1906), was a Swedish painter from Stockholm who had a career mainly as a watercolour painter with motifs of horses from racetracks and fox hunts from the countryside. Barely fifteen years old, Dick Beer became an orphan and came to Sweden in 1907. Already in 1908-1909, he started at Althin's painting school in Stockholm. And later, at the Royal Academy of Arts from 1910-1912. His teachers were, among others, Gustaf Cederström, Oscar Björk and Alfred...
Category

1910s Post-Impressionist Landscape Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Landscape from the North of Sweden by Swedish Artist Otto Lindberg, 1926
Located in Stockholm, SE
Otto Lindberg was a Swedish artist born in Söderhamn in 1880. Lindberg was known for his landscapes and marine paintings. He studied at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts in Stockholm an...
Category

1920s Post-Impressionist Landscape Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

You May Also Like

Pluie a Venice (Venice in the Rain)
By André Hambourg
Located in Costa Mesa, CA
Pluie a Venice is painted in Hambourg's preferred palette of muted blue-green, grey, and gold with splashes of ruby red, deep blue, and emerald green. The soft colors work well for beach scenes and rainy days such as the ones portrayed in this painting. The impressionistic scene shows multiple pedestrians strolling down the boardwalk, shielding themselves from the rain with colorful umbrellas that provide pops of color and balance the overcast sky. The background contains a three-masted ship and Piazza San Marco's famous bell tower and Basilica. Hambourg uses the minimum number of brushstrokes necessary to portray ships, seagulls, buildings and people as well as reflections on the glistening sidewalk. The brushstrokes in the sky have an interesting texture that is controlled yet carefree and there is heavy impasto throughout. His portrayal is both realistic and romanticized. Hambourg was clearly influenced by the great Impressionist artists of earlier generations, perhaps none more than the one with a direct connection to his family. Hambourg's wife, Nicole Rachet, was born into a family with a large collection of works by Impressionist master Eugene Boudin. Rachet's grandfather was a contemporary and friend of Boudin's, and a collector of his work. In their later years, Hambourg and Rachet donated over 300 canvases by Boudin and other artists to the Eugene Boudin Museum in Honfleur, France. It was such a large and important gift that the collection bears...
Category

1960s Post-Impressionist Landscape Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Haystack with Resting Figures
By John Maclauchlan Milne
Located in Hillsborough, NC
Scottish artist John Maclauchlan Milne, RSA, (1885-1957) is a contemporary of Scottish Colourists Peploe, Fergusson, Cadell and Hunter. Like the...
Category

1920s Post-Impressionist Landscape Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Shrine of Dreams
Located in Mc Lean, VA
Signed lower left Lillian Genth was an important American figurative painter. She studied in the U.S. and in Paris, under James McNeil Whistler. Genth p...
Category

Early 20th Century Post-Impressionist Figurative Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Femme lisant dans un jardin
By Georges d'Espagnat
Located in Mc Lean, VA
Signed with monogram lower left * The Robert Lehman Collection at the Metropolitan Museum of Art contains more paintings (nine) by Georges D’Espagnat than any other nineteenth- or ...
Category

1910s Post-Impressionist Figurative Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Henriette Chabot with Peonies
By Jacques Emile Blanche
Located in Mc Lean, VA
This painting was owned by Comte Robert de Montesquiou (1855–1921), Paris Literature: Jane Roberts, Jacques-Émile Blanche (2012), pg. 47 (color illus.), p. 191. Included as no. R...
Category

Early 20th Century Post-Impressionist Figurative Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Femme à la promenade
By Albert Andre
Located in Mc Lean, VA
Large and historically significant post-impressionist painting by Albert André. Exhibition: Exposition Post et Néo-Impressionniste, Durand-Ruel Gallery, Paris, 10–31 March 1899, n...
Category

1880s Post-Impressionist Figurative Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Recently Viewed

View All