Carl Olof Larsson 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 family life. He considered his finest work to be Midvinterblot (Midwinter Sacrifice), a large painting now displayed inside the Swedish National Museum of Fine Arts.
One of Sweden’s most well loved artists through the ages
Carl Larsson was born in Gamla stan, the old quarter of Stockholm, on 28 May 1853. His family was poor and Carl grew up in dismal circumstances. The only glimmer of hope was his strong artistic talent, which emerged early on in his life.
When he was thirteen years old his teacher at the school for the poor persuaded him to apply for a place at Principskolan, the preparatory department of the Art Academy.
View Carl Larsson Paintings
During the first years at Principskolan Carl found it difficult to settle in. His sense of social inferiority made him feel like an outsider. But that changed when, at the age of sixteen, he was moved up to the lowest department of the Art Academy. He began to feel more confident and it was not long before he became one of the central figures in student circles.
(Swedish pronunciation: [ˈkɑːɭ ˈlɑ̌ːʂɔn] (audio speaker icon); 28 May 1853 – 22 January 1919)
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