Anders Zorn

Self-Portrait

1916

Anders Zorn was born on February 18, 1869, in Mora, Sweden. In 1893, on his first trip to America, Zorn visited New York City en route to the World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago. The self-made artist subscribed to American values and immediately felt welcome in America. While at the Chicago World’s fair, Zorn met Mrs. Gardner. This chance meeting initiated a long friendship and patron relationship. Zorn's outstanding portrait of Mrs. Gardner is at the Palazzo Barbaro in Venice and an impressive collection of Zorn prints have been on view at The Gardner Museum in Boston. In November of 1893, the Frederick Keppel Gallery on East 16th Street in New York City held the first American exhibition of Zorn's work and ignited Zorn's popularity. As evidence of his influence in America, Zorn portrayed three Presidents namely, Theodore Roosevelt, Grover Cleveland and William Taft. He was one of the most actively collected printmakers of the early 20th century and was often ranked among the world's most highly-esteemed printmakers. Anders Zorn died in Stockholm on August 22, 1920. In 1928, the Boston Herald published an article highlighting the acquisition of a collection of 110 Zorn etchings by the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston.