University of Nebraska - Lincoln DigitalCommons@University of Nebraska - Lincoln Great Plains Quarterly Great Plains Studies, Center for Winter 1985 Birger Sandzén: A Painter And His Two Worlds Emory Lindquist Bethany College - Lindsborg Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/greatplainsquarterly Part of the Other International and Area Studies Commons Lindquist, Emory, "Birger Sandzén: A Painter And His Two Worlds" (1985). Great Plains Quarterly. 1823. https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/greatplainsquarterly/1823 This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Great Plains Studies, Center for at DigitalCommons@University of Nebraska - Lincoln. It has been accepted for inclusion in Great Plains Quarterly by an authorized administrator of DigitalCommons@University of Nebraska - Lincoln. BIRGER SANDZEN A PAINTER AND HIS TWO WORLDS EMORY LINDQUIST Birger Sandzt'!n, Swedish-born painter and lith­ west to paint.... He says there is more ographer, achieved a national reputation during color than light. He defies the Colorado Can­ the more than half a century that he was asso­ yon to do its worst, knowing that he has ciated with Bethany College in Lindsborg, more vermillion in his color box than nature Kansas. His place in the mainstream of Amer­ herself can afford to spend on sunsets .... It ican landscape painting is readily apparent if is all very vehement, splendid and very west- one considers the vast number of exhibitions of ern. 1 his paintings, which ranged from hand-carried portfolios in a school or church to one-man Sandzen's national recogmtIOn following this shows in major galleries in the United States show was enhanced over the years as his work and Europe. was given a series of exhibitions at leading Although Sandzen's paintings had been galleries and museums including the Brooklyn exhibited before, his national reputation really Museum; the Art Institute of Chicago; the Los began in 1922 with a showing of his work at Angeles County Museum; the William Rockhill the Babcock Galleries in New York City. The Nelson Gallery in Kansas City; the Palace of New York Herald commented enthusiastically, Fine Arts in San Francisco; the Santa Fe Mu­ seum of Art; the Taos Society of Artists; and Sandzen paints with fiery, tempestuous col­ others in the United States, France, Italy, and ors quite unlike any native who has gone Sweden. Groups that exhibited Sandzen's works include the American Watercolor Society; the New York Water Color Society; the Philadel­ Emory Lindquist, a graduate ofBethany College phia Water Color Club; the Society of American in Lindsborg, Kansas, is professor emeritus of Etchers, Lithographers, Gravers and Woodcut­ history and president emeritus of Wichita State University. He has published many books and ters; the National Academy of Design; and the articles on Scandinavians in America, including Philadelphia Print Club. Vision for a Valley (1970). Birger Sandzen's paintings are distinguished by his masterly drawing and by his use of color. [CPQ 5 (Winter 1985): 53-65.] The nature of his achievement is associated 53 54 GREAT PLAINS QUARTERLY, WINTER 1985 with his two worlds: his native Sweden and his . new world of the American West. When Birger Sandzen was born in 1871 in the rural parish of Jarp~s in Vastergotland, Sweden, the home of his parents, Pastor and Mrs. Johannes Sand­ zen, offered him fine cultural resources. This prepared him, at age ten, to enter Skara School, which offered him eight years of classical edu­ cation and, fortunately, the opportunity to learn the fundamentals of drawing and design from Olof Erlandsson, a graduate of the Royal Academy of Art. On Sunday, 27 February 1887, the teacher told the young student that his progress merited painting lessons. The fol­ lowing day, Birger wrote his parents thanking them for the twenty kronor they had provided for the purchase of materials and told them, "I started painting yesterday in a room on the third floor of the school, which has been cleared out and serves as a studio for the school boys who paint.,,2 After Birger Sandzen completed his studies at Skara School with distinction in the spring of 1890, he took lessons in watercolor from Regina Sophia Bobeck, a painter who emphasized color and "possessed almost an impressionistic attitude.,,3 That autumn Sand­ zen attended lectures in aesthetics and enrolled FIG. 1. Birger Sandzen in his studio, Linds­ in French classes at Lund University, but he borg, Kansas, c. 1940. was not vitally interested in a traditional uni­ versity career. Sandzen's dominant interest in painting led him to leave Lund at the end of the first term second studio was the nucleus of the school and to go to Stockholm early in 1891. Although founded by the members of the Artist's League he sat for admission tests in drawing (provrit­ (Konstnarsforbundet) , who rejected the tradi­ ning) for the Royal Academy of Art, the list tionalism of the Royal Academy of Art and of applicants was long and the vacancies were created an important national movement in few. A kindly fate dramatically changed young Swedish painting.5 Sandzen's life. By chance he met a nephew of Anders Zorn was probably the dominant Anders Zorn (1862-1920), one of the greatest influence on Sandzen during the Stockholm painters and etchers in Swedish history. The years. Zorn enriched Sandzen's understanding nephew informed Sandzen that Zorn had of the importance of color and brushwork. He rented rooms in Stockholm where, in addition stressed the use of a palette with five colors. As to pursuing his own work, the artist planned to Sandzen explained to his father: "Zorn does instruct a few pupils.4 Sandzen hurried to meet not want us to mix up many colors. That one Zorn and was accepted as a pupil in the little can get what one needs with the basic colors studio on Norra Smedjegatan. When the num­ was his strong belief." Zorn also influenced ber of Zorn's students increased, he moved to a Sandzen's handling of light in painting. Print­ larger studio on Master Samuelsgatan. This maker Malcolm C. Salomon has noted that BIRGER SANDZEN 55 Zorn "untiringly pursued light in its frank remembered his observation: "You must know and subtle manifestations," leading his pupil nature before you try to juggle her." Bergh to do the same. Sandzen was delighted with his emphasized the development of creativity and teacher, happily writing to his father, "How individual talent. "A work of art," he wrote, brilliant and original he is in every inch .... "should emanate from an artist's view of life." 7 Zorn is phenomenal." In the same letter, the Zorn, Bergh, and another of Sandzen's teachers, young Sandzen described his first lesson with Per Hasselberg, were all members of the Kon­ Zorn. The pupil had been set to paint a model. stnarsforbundet, who introduced a new spirit into Swedish painting. These three, along with Zorn stood leaning over my shoulder for Nils Kreuger, Karl Nordstrom, Carl Larsson, about twenty minutes. It went about as fol­ Bruno Liljefors, and others were the so-called lows: "Now we will see how most easily we "Paris boys" ~artists who had returned from can get a simple, natural and beautiful result their study in France with ideas in sympathy in this painting. Perhaps we should begin with the anti-academic views common around with this part, pointing to the forehead. the world in the 1890s.8 According to Sixten What colors will Mr. Sandzen select? Proceed Strombom's authoritative history of Konstnars­ so that I may see. Sienna, ochre, white. Fine, forbundet, these artists strove to avoid the con­ go ahead now, broadly and vigorously with­ ventional. As teachers they emphasized color, out being afraid. If one is afraid and doesn't realistic forms, painting in the open air, and press on, one will never see what the mis­ informal methods of instruction.9 Sandzen's takes are." teachers directly influenced his handling of I proceeded to paint and then Zorn said color and light and developed in him the strong pleasantly: "That is fine. Look here, Mr. individualism that would keep him, as a mature Sandzen, put some more paint on the chin. painter, from being identified with any move­ Yes, put it on. That is the way to do it. What ment or group. do you consider to be the connection be­ Swedish art critics and art historians often tween this color~pointing~and that on the associate Sandzen with the Varberg school of cheek? From this color to the former? painting (Varbergskolmaleri), named for the Through the addition of light ochre and small community of Varberg on the west coast sienna? ... Go ahead with the painting. of Sweden where Bergh, Nordstrom, and Kreu­ What part shall we turn to now? Perhaps a ger chose to live and paint for a few years. little more color in the hair, a little more Sandzen visited Bergh in this attractive coastal ligh t." area with its variously colored rugged settings in Soon the first version of the head was 1893. Nordstrom and Kreuger primarily painted finished .... Then the light [of understand­ landscapes that are distinguished by effec­ ing] appeared, indicating to me how one tive use of color and light. Sandzen, however, should use color~simply, strongly, truth­ used more pigment and brighter colors and fully. How does one get such results from a more direct brushwork in his landscapes and little white, sienna and ochre? ... Perhaps portraits than did the painters in the Varberg tomorrow Zorn will come, sit down and group.l0 paint for us. That would be extraordinarily In 1894, Birger Sandzen followed his teach­ interesting.6 ers' example by going to Paris where he painted for six months as a pupil in the studio of Richard Bergh (1858-1919), well-known Edmond-Franr;ois Aman-J ean (1860-1935) on Swedish portrait and landscape painter, was the Avenue de Saxe.