Carl Oscar Borg Figurative Drawings and Watercolors
American, 1879-1947
Carl Oscar Borg was a Swedish-American painter, illustrator, and printmaker best known for his luminous landscapes of the American West and his sensitive portrayals of Native American life. Born in Grinstad, Dalsland, Sweden, he left home at the age of 15 to work as a house painter. His artistic talent and ambition led him to London, where he briefly worked as an assistant to the renowned portraitist Anders Zorn before sailing to America around the turn of the century.
Borg arrived in California in 1901 and quickly found his artistic home in the dramatic light and landscape of the American Southwest. He became associated with the California Impressionist movement and was one of the earliest non-Indigenous artists to travel and paint extensively in Navajo and Hopi lands. His deep respect for Indigenous culture and his ability to capture the spiritual vastness of the desert made his work both artistically distinctive and historically valuable.
Throughout his career, Borg worked across media—oil, watercolor, gouache, and etching—developing a bold, expressive style characterized by clarity of form, vibrant color, and masterful use of light. He was a founding member of the Painter-Etchers Society in Los Angeles and held teaching positions at the Santa Barbara School of the Arts and the University of California.
His work was widely exhibited in the United States and Europe during his lifetime, and he received numerous honors, including a Guggenheim Fellowship. Though most associated with the American West, Borg never forgot his Scandinavian roots. A number of rare early works depict Swedish and Norwegian landscapes, painted before his emigration.
Today, Carl Oscar Borg is recognized as a vital link between European academic training and the emerging modern visual identity of the American West. His legacy is preserved in major museum collections and continues to resonate with collectors and scholars alike.to
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Artist: Carl Oscar Borg
Valley View with Pines and Distant Peaks, Sierra Nevada (Possibly Yosemite)
By Carl Oscar Borg
Located in Stockholm, SE
This luminous gouache captures a majestic mountain vista, likely set in California’s Sierra Nevada (possibly Yosemite). Two broad granite peaks with sunlit faces dominate the backgro...
Category
Early 20th Century Impressionist Carl Oscar Borg Figurative Drawings and Watercolors
Materials
Paper, Gouache
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Carl Oscar Borg figurative drawings and watercolors for sale on 1stDibs.
Find a wide variety of authentic Carl Oscar Borg figurative drawings and watercolors available for sale on 1stDibs. You can also browse by medium to find art by Carl Oscar Borg in gouache, paint, paper and more. Much of the original work by this artist or collective was created during the 20th century and is mostly associated with the Impressionist style. Not every interior allows for large Carl Oscar Borg figurative drawings and watercolors, so small editions measuring 10 inches across are available. Customers who are interested in this artist might also find the work of Siebe Johannes Ten Cate, Arnold A. Grossman, and Louis Nadalini. Carl Oscar Borg figurative drawings and watercolors prices can differ depending upon medium, time period and other attributes. On 1stDibs, the price for these items starts at $3,327 and tops out at $3,327, while the average work can sell for $3,327.