Gustaf Fjaestad (22 December 1868 – 17 July 1948) was a

Swedish Swedish or ' may refer to: Anything from or related to Sweden, a country in Northern Europe. Or, specifically: * Swedish language, a North Germanic language spoken primarily in Sweden and Finland ** Swedish alphabet, the official alphabet used by ...

painter.

Biography

Gustaf Adolf Christensen Fjæstad was born in Jakobs parish in the Diocese of Stockholm, Sweden. He was the son of Peder Christensen Fjæstad and Kristina Andersson. He studied 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 ...

in 1891–1892 and then during 1893 at the Academy of the Arts (''

Konstnärsförbundets skola was a painting school in Stockholm, Sweden, which was offered by ('the Artists' Society') 1890– 1908. The latter association was in turn established in opposition to the Royal Swedish Academy of Fine Arts. One of the school's co-founders was ...

'') operated by

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 ...

in Stockholm. Fjæstad belonged to the Artists' Association (''

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 ...

''). He assisted

Bruno Liljefors Bruno Andreas Liljefors (; 14 May 1860 – 18 December 1939) was a Swedish artist. He is perhaps best known for his nature and animal motifs, especially with dramatic situations. He was the most important and probably most influential Swedish wil ...

during his decorative work for the Biological museum in Stockholm and collaborated with

Carl Larsson Carl Olof Larsson (; 28 May 1853 – 22 January 1919) was a Swedish painter representative of the Arts and Crafts movement. His many paintings include oils, watercolors, and frescoes. He is principally known for his watercolors of idyllic fa ...

on the murals now at the Stockholm National Museum. In 1897, he moved to Taserud near Arvika in

Värmland Värmland () also known as Wermeland, is a '' landskap'' (historical province) in west-central Sweden. It borders Västergötland, Dalsland, Dalarna, Västmanland, and Närke, and is bounded by Norway in the west. Latin name versions are '' ...

. He held his first solo exhibition in Stockholm in 1908. In 1910 he again exhibited in Stockholm, in 1914 at

Berlin Berlin ( , ) is the capital and List of cities in Germany by population, largest city of Germany by both area and population. Its 3.7 million inhabitants make it the European Union's List of cities in the European Union by population within ci ...

and in 1927 at

London London is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary dow ...

. In 1932, a large exhibition of his works from later periods was shown at Värmlands Museum. After the first decade of the 20th century, he devoted himself principally to

woodcraft The term woodcraft — or woodlore — denotes bushcraft skills and experience in matters relating to living and thriving in the woods—such as hunting, fishing, and camping—whether on a short- or long-term basis. Traditionally, woodcraft per ...

. His work is found in many national and international collections. His work was part of the painting event in the art competition at the 1936 Summer Olympics.

Personal life

Apart from painting, Fjæstad was also an accomplished cyclist. He won the inaugural Mälaren Runt around

Lake Mälaren A lake is an area filled with water, localized in a basin, surrounded by land, and distinct from any river or other outlet that serves to feed or drain the lake. Lakes lie on land and are not part of the ocean, although, like the much larger ...

in 1892. In 1898, he was married to artist Maja Fjæstad (1873–1961). They were the parents of four children including author Agneta Fjaestad (1901–1997). Both he and his wife were members of the Rackstad colony of artists at Arvika in

, Sweden. He was buried at Arvika Cemetery.

Gallery

File:Frosty Morning. Gustaf Fjæstad.jpg, '' Frosty Morning'' (1919) File:Cold winter evening. Gustaf Fjæstad.jpg, ''Cold winter evening'' (1897) File:Gustaf Fjæstad - Snötäckt väg med gärdesgård.jpg, '' Snow Covered Road with Fence'' (1930)

References

Other sources

* Fjaestad, Agneta (1981) ''Gustaf och Maja Fjaestad : ett konstnärspar'' (Karlstad: NWT Media AB) * Nasgaard, Roald (1984) ''The Mystic North: Symbolist Landscape Painting in Northern Europe and North America, 1890-1940'' (Toronto: University of Toronto Press) * Holmquist-Wall, Erika (2006) ''The Idea of North: The Art of Gustaf Adolf Fjaestad (1868-1946)'' (Saint Paul, MN: University of St. Thomas)

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Fjaestad, Gustaf 19th-century Swedish painters Swedish male painters 20th-century Swedish painters 1868 births 1948 deaths Olympic competitors in art competitions 19th-century Swedish male artists 20th-century Swedish male artists