Nils Edvard Kreuger (11 October 1858 – 11 May 1930) was a Swedish painter. He specialized in landscapes and rural scenes.
from the ''Nordisk Familjebok
''Nordisk familjebok'' (, "Nordic Family Book") is a Swedish encyclopedia that was published in print from between 1876 and 1993, and that is now fully available in digital form via Project Runeberg at Linköping University. Despite their consi ...
'' @ Project Runeberg
Project Runeberg ( sv, Projekt Runeberg) is a digital cultural archive initiative that publishes free electronic versions of books significant to the culture and history of the Nordic countries. Patterned after Project Gutenberg, it was founded ...
Biography
His father, Johan August (1821–1887), operated a lumber and wood products business. In 1874, he began his studies at the
Royal Swedish Academy of Fine Arts
The Royal Swedish Academy of Fine Arts ( sv, Kungliga Akademien för de fria konsterna), commonly called the Royal Academy, is located in Stockholm, Sweden. An independent organization that promotes the development of painting, sculpture, architec ...
, but was forced to discontinue them due to illness. In 1878, he was able to resume studying at the private painting school of
Edvard Perséus
Edvard Perséus, originally Persson (23 December 1841, in Lund – 7 October 1890, in Stockholm) was a Swedish painter and (a form of superintendent) at the Royal Court of Sweden. He specialized in historical and genre scenes.
Biography
He was ...
. He then went to Paris, in 1881, and studied with
Jean-Paul Laurens
Jean-Paul Laurens (; 28 March 1838 – 23 March 1921) was a French painter and sculptor, and one of the last major exponents of the French Academic style.
Biography
Laurens was born in Fourquevaux and was a pupil of Léon Cogniet and Alexand ...
at the
Académie Colarossi
The Académie Colarossi (1870–1930) was an art school in Paris founded in 1870 by the Italian model and sculptor Filippo Colarossi. It was originally located on the Île de la Cité, and it moved in 1879 to 10 rue de la Grande-Chaumière in the ...
. Much of his time was spent painting en
plein aire
''En plein air'' (; French for 'outdoors'), or ''plein air'' painting, is the act of painting outdoors.
This method contrasts with studio painting or academic rules that might create a predetermined look. The theory of 'En plein air' painting ...
in
Grez-sur-Loing
Grez-sur-Loing (, literally ''Grez on Loing''; formerly Grès-en-Gâtinais, literally ''Grès in Gâtinais'') is a commune in the Seine-et-Marne department in north-central France.
Sights
* The Church of Notre-Dame et Saint-Laurent ''(Church o ...
. As his style progressed, he showed a preference for painting at dawn or dusk, in haze or rain. His first exhibition at the
Salon
Salon may refer to:
Common meanings
* Beauty salon, a venue for cosmetic treatments
* French term for a drawing room, an architectural space in a home
* Salon (gathering), a meeting for learning or enjoyment
Arts and entertainment
* Salon (P ...
came in 1882.
After 1885, he was a supporter of the
Opponenterna
('the Opponents') was a group of 84 Swedish artists who, under the leadership of Ernst Josephson, organized the Opponent Movement () in the 1880s. On 27 March 1885, the members submitted their written demands to the Royal Swedish Academy of Fine ...
, a group that was opposed to the outmoded teaching methods at the Royal Academy. He was also active in creating the
Konstnärsförbundet
Konstnärsförbundet ('the Artists' Association') was an association of Swedish artists founded in 1886 in opposition to the Royal Swedish Academy of Fine Arts.
Background and members
The association demanded reforms in the Academy's organizat ...
(Artists' Union). At this time, he abandoned painting
en plein air
''En plein air'' (; French for 'outdoors'), or ''plein air'' painting, is the act of painting outdoors.
This method contrasts with studio painting or academic rules that might create a predetermined look. The theory of 'En plein air' painting ...
e in favor of
Romantic nationalism
Romantic nationalism (also national romanticism, organic nationalism, identity nationalism) is the form of nationalism in which the state claims its political legitimacy as an organic consequence of the unity of those it governs. This includes ...
. In 1886, he married Bertha Elisabeth von Essen (1857–1932), the daughter of an army officer, and settled in
Bourg-la-Reine
Bourg-la-Reine () is a commune in the southern suburbs of Paris, France. It is located from the center of Paris.
History
In 1792, during the French Revolution, Bourg-la-Reine (meaning "Town of the Queen") was renamed Bourg-l'Égalité (meani ...
.
In 1887, he returned to Sweden, looking for a quiet place to paint, and chose
Varberg
Varberg () is a locality and the seat of Varberg Municipality, Halland County, Sweden, with 35,782 inhabitants in 2019.
Varberg and all of Halland are well known for their "typical west coast" sandy beaches. In Varberg the coast changes from wi ...
, where he worked with
Richard Bergh
Sven Richard Bergh (28 December 1858 – 29 January 1919) was a Swedish painter, art critic and museum manager. Despite many years in France, he remained unattracted to Impressionism, preferring instead the Naturalism of painters such as Jule ...
and
Karl Nordstrom
Karl Earnest Nordstrom (July 1, 1920 – October 10, 1961) was a provincial politician from Alberta, Canada. He served as a member of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta from 1959 until his death in 1961 sitting with the Social Credit caucus in ...
to establish what came to be known as the ; a term coined by
Prince Eugen, himself an amateur artist. It was a reaction to the prevailing realistic style of landscape painting and may have been inspired by Bergh's attraction to the works of
Paul Gauguin
Eugène Henri Paul Gauguin (, ; ; 7 June 1848 – 8 May 1903) was a French Post-Impressionist artist. Unappreciated until after his death, Gauguin is now recognized for his experimental use of colour and Synthetist style that were distinct fr ...
. He was also influenced by
Van Gogh
Vincent Willem van Gogh (; 30 March 185329 July 1890) was a Dutch Post-Impressionist painter who posthumously became one of the most famous and influential figures in Western art history. In a decade, he created about 2,100 artworks, inclu ...
, whose paintings were exhibited in Copenhagen in 1893.
In 1896, he moved to Stockholm, but visited
Öland
Öland (, ; ; sometimes written ''Øland'' in other Scandinavian languages, and often ''Oland'' internationally; la, Oelandia) is the second-largest Swedish island and the smallest of the traditional provinces of Sweden. Öland has an area ...
in the summers, where he painted cows and horses. After 1900, his palette lightened and he began adding dots to his work. He also did illustrations, designed furniture and produced some humorous paintings called the ('historic backs'), showing famous rulers from behind. Between 1904 and 1905, he executed some large wall paintings at the . In his final years, he had problems with his eyesight, but was able to continue painting.
His works may be seen in the
Nationalmuseum
Nationalmuseum (or National Museum of Fine Arts) is the national gallery of Sweden, located on the peninsula Blasieholmen in central Stockholm.
The museum's operations stretches far beyond the borders of Blasieholmen, the nationalmuseum manag ...
,
Prins Eugens Waldemarsudde
Prins Eugens Waldemarsudde (Swedish for ''Cape Waldemar''), is a museum located on Djurgården in central Stockholm. The name is composed of Waldemar, an Old German noble male name, and udde, meaning cape. It is derived from a historical name o ...
, the
Thiel Gallery
The Thiel Gallery ( sv, Thielska Galleriet) is an art museum in the Djurgården park area of Stockholm, Sweden. Represented are the members of the Artists Association (''Konstnärsförbundet'') from the early 1900s as well as one of the world's l ...
, and the
Gothenburg Museum of Art
Gothenburg Museum of Art ( sv, Göteborgs konstmuseum) is located at Götaplatsen in Gothenburg, Sweden.
It claims to be the third largest art museum in Sweden by size of its collection.
Collections
The museum holds the world's finest collect ...
.
Göteborgs konstmuseum
/ref>
Industrialist Ivar Kreuger
Ivar Kreuger (; 2 March 1880 – 12 March 1932) was a Swedish civil engineer, financier, entrepreneur and industrialist. In 1908, he co-founded the construction company Kreuger & Toll Byggnads AB, which specialized in new building techniques. B ...
was his cousin.
Selected paintings
File:Nils Kreuger - Middagsrast.jpg, Mid Day Rest
File:Betande ko.jpg, Grazing Cow
File:Kreuger21.jpg, October Evening at Apelviken (Varberg)
File:Historic Backs , Second Series, Karl X of Sweden (Nils Kreuger) - Nationalmuseum - 21191.tif, King Karl X
Charles X Gustav, also Carl Gustav ( sv, Karl X Gustav; 8 November 1622 – 13 February 1660), was King of Sweden from 1654 until his death. He was the son of John Casimir, Count Palatine of Zweibrücken-Kleeburg and Catherine of Sweden. Afte ...
, from "Historic Backs"
File:Marsafton (Riddarfjärden).jpg, Evening in March
File:NilsKreuger-In the rain, Paris.jpg, In the Rain (Paris)
References
External links
Biography
@ the ''Svenskt Biografiskt Lexikon
''Svenskt biografiskt lexikon'' () is a Swedish biographical dictionary, started in 1917. The first volume, covering names ''Abelin'' to ''Anjou'', was published in 1918. As of 2017, names from A to S are covered.
Volumes
# ABELIN – ANJOU (1 ...
''
More works by Kreuger
@ ArtNet
{{DEFAULTSORT:Kreuger, Nils
1858 births
1930 deaths
19th-century Swedish painters
Swedish male painters
20th-century Swedish painters
19th-century Swedish male artists
20th-century Swedish male artists