From Dawn to Dusk – Nordic Art at the Turn of the 20th Century

From Dawn to Dusk is an exhibition presenting approximately 90 works by artists such as Eugène Jansson, Carl Fredrik Hill, Anna Ancher, Carl Larsson, Bruno Liljefors, Hanna Pauli and Anders Zorn. The exhibition investigates the phenomenon of Nordic artists who travelled abroad to paint sundrenched motifs and later returned home and painted the Nordic landscape at sunset.

The last decade of the 1800s was a time of radical development for Nordic art. Young artists grew tired of the conservative atmosphere at the artistic academies, where history painting was still regarded as the highest art form. One by one, the most talented students went abroad, predominantly to France and Paris. While abroad, they experienced a sudden sense of freedom – especially the female artists who found the conditions in Paris much more ameliorate than at home. Far from the artificial imagery of history painting, the artists could turn their gaze toward real life and paint it with the same empathy and seriousness.

Around 1890, there was a growing demand for a more clear depiction of national Nordic art. The call was put out for the artists to return home and paint their own countries in a way that would express their uniqueness. In Sweden, this development in painting can be understood as the transition from dawn and daylight to twilight and dusk.

This exhibition is presented in co-operation with The National Museum in Stockholm and Dunkers kulturhus.