BIRGER SANDZÉN IN PRÄRIEBLOMMAN JAMES M. KAPLAN Between the start of the new century and the outbreak of the First World War, the literary annual Prärieblomman offered an outlet for immigrant authors as well as a source of education and entertainment for Swedish-Americans all over the country.1 Since the publication was under the aegis of the Augustana Synod, it hewed to a moderate line, but its subject matter and contributors were surprisingly varied. Among the topics covered was art, and the publication's editor, Anders Schön, requested that the noted Lindsborg artist Birger Sandzén furnish articles on Swedish and Swedish-American art. Between 1902 and 1913 Sandzén published 9 articles in Prärieblomman. Together they form a book-length body of writings that give an ample view of Sandzén's thoughts on art, Swedish-America, and other subjects. Sandzén mentions Schön for the first time in a letter to his father on 16 November 1901. The editor was the artist's houseguest at that time, and his stay coincided with the twentieth anniversary celebra• tions of Bethany College.2 The two became good friends, and in the Augustana monthly Ungdomsvännen in May 1904 Schön would publish a highly laudatory biographic essay on the young immigrant artist.3 In Sandzén's correspondence with his family, his work for Prärieblomman is a recurring theme, and it was an important creative outlet for him. After this publication folded in 1914, he wrote only a very few articles on art, and those were mostly in English for "American" publications. These writings in Prärieblomman are virtually unknown and yet are a very interesting and important source of information on Sandzén and on the Swedish-American art world in the early years of the century. More broadly, they cast light on the views and attitudes of the mainstream of the "right thinking" patriotic, religious element of the Swedish-American intelligentsia, a small but disproportionately influential segment of the immigrant community. Because of the great length of the texts, we have selected excerpts to give a representative sample and translated them for the modern 94 reader. Ellipses are generally not used so as to avoid a patchwork effect. Commentary by the compiler and translator is in italics or footnotes. After each title we note in parentheses the issue of Prärieblomman in which the article appeared. The publication came out around the beginning of December of the year preceding the issue date. "Grey Day in the Afternoon " by Birger Sandzén. Swedish Art in America (1902)4 Swedish artists in America are in many cases just as unknown to their countrymen here as to those in Sweden.5 Most of them left the fatherland as youths, and since they have come here have mostly sold their creations to Americans, as our countrymen have not generally been able to purchase artworks. You have to get yourself the necessary before you can buy the superfluous.6 In my parents' home I constantly heard classical music, one day Beethoven and Bach, the next day Bach and Beethoven. One day when I was ten a school teacher visited us. When we asked him to play the piano he treated us to a series of marches and waltzes. A wild joy took hold of my heart. That was different stuff than the 95 unbearable old Bach and Beethoven! All afternoon my father was busy in his study, until the strange performance was over, and the school teacher said goodbye. Father, who finally was free, came in with a thunder cloud on his forehead and asked who it was who had "pounded out that trash all afternoon." We revealed the criminal's name. "Aha! It was he! That guy has no more music in him than my old boots." I was upset by the implacable judgment, but didn't dare say anything, for an inner voice told me that Father was right.7 Art is a friendship that is worth making. If many of our country• men here knew this friendship, they would probably feel themselves inspired to build a home for Swedish art here in this country.8 In southern Mexico I have seen poor Indians eat food that we wouldn't feed to our dogs, and they ate it out of pottery vessels so wonderfully beautiful that, once the Indian tribe died out, they would be the pride of any museum.9 Despite the steam power, electricity and all sorts of inventions of our time there are, nevertheless, a few things lacking... Why are real artists hired as designers at furniture, china, wallpaper, and carpet factories? Why are so many industrial design schools being established? People want art and industry to work hand in hand. People want art to come down and live among us, teach us, delight us, and become a healthful counter to the exclusively practical element in our hurrying, nervous machine age.10 Go to that poor artist, your countryman that you've heard about, the one who for long years faithfully studied and loved his art. Have him paint a fine portrait of your father or your young wife. Or buy that beautiful mood picture of your home valley, or that little canvas there in the corner of the studio, the canvas with the pretty birches and the sunshine. Don't you think it's beautiful? Weren't those the birches, wasn't that the sunshine you played in as a child? Or maybe you like that cornfield even more with the sunburned young farmer in the foreground? He almost looks like you. On a cornfield just like this one you have offered up a lot of sweat and labor. You can hardly not like the painting. It's so good that you buy it for the living room in the beautiful house you built last spring. .11 Dear reader allow me now to rapidly introduce some Swedish- American artists: Olof Grafström was a contemporary of Zorn and Bergh at the Art Academy in Stockholm.12 At a young age he gained a reputation as a competent artist, and his beautiful landscapes of Norrland easily found buyers at the Art Association in Stockholm. One of his canvases found its way into the king's private art collection. Graf- 96 ström's strongest suit is depicting Nordic nature in mild, pleasing colors. He understands and feels the mood in a summer night in the far North and renders it poetically and beautifully. During the ten years that Grafström has spent in America, he has won many friends both as an artist and as a man.13 Anyone who knows him personally can not help but like him, a loyal friend, good hearted, down to earth, one of the best. Since 1897 Grafström has taught at the art school at Augustana College. He has done a lot to increase the interest in art among our countrymen in America. Arvid Nyholm was born and brought up in Stockholm. After secondary school he became a pupil at the Art Academy. He and I studied together for a time during the fall of 1891 at the Artists' Union's newly founded painting school.14 We all were very fond of him. He was such a genuine artist type: gifted, down to earth, kind, and funny. You were never bored when he was around. How often we almost choked with laughter when Nyholm with incomparable dramatic talent told one of his hilarious stories. He left a big gap in our circle of friends when in late Autumn 1891 he left for America. He was known already then as a gifted artist, especially accomplished as a watercolorist, and in time his talent has come into full bloom. Henry Reuterdahl was born in Malmö in 1870.15 [He studied art in Stockholm.] He quickly gained a reputation as a good illustrator and was sent out by Svea to study and draw Swedish-Americans and the Chicago Exposition. He stayed in Chicago and was soon hired as an artist at Leslie's Weekly. In 1897, Reuterdahl moved to New York and found his calling there when Harper's Weekly and Truth sent him out as their artist-correspondent in the Spanish-American War. This was where he made a name for himself. He drew and painted seamen, boats, and fleet maneuvers with a surprising talent. Reuter¬ dahl's marine paintings have made quite a stir at various exhibitions. Recently Charles Hallberg's painting "Open Sea" created a sensation at the Chicago Art Institute's exhibit. The surprise was all the greater when people heard that it was painted by a poor janitor who never had taken an art lesson in his life. Hallberg was born in Göteborg, grew up in poverty, went to sea as a boy, worked as a seaman for many years, and ended up finally in America. In his spare time he has painted. After living poor and unnoticed for many years he has now, by accident, been discovered. Other artists discussed by Sandzén are Henning Rydén, Bror Julius Olson, Hugo von Hoffsten, Alfred Jansson, August Franzén, C.F. von Saltza, Thure de Thulstrup, Knut Åkerberg and Jean LeVeau. 97 "Two Pines" by Birger Sandzén. In February 1894, I began painting for Aman-Jean who had an art school on Avenue de Saxe in Paris. The pupils were of 12 different nationalities. It was no fun being the only Swede. They laughed and told stories in all languages, but I didn't especially enjoy them. One day when I had been going to the studio for a whole month I read to my surprise the name Carl Lindin written large and clearly on the back of a newly stretched canvas.