Thursday, January 22, 2015

Julius Kronberg, Swedish Academian




Speaking of Swedish painters, blog reader Staffan Alsparr shared some information about Julius Kronberg (1850-1921): "I thought he might be an artist that you haven't heard of before, which isn't strange at all, he is very unknown here as well."

Kronberg, Portrait of Artur Hazelius, 1910
Mr. Alsparr continues: "The two Swedish artists that most people do know are Anders Zorn and Carl Larsson. Kronberg was contemporary to them, although he followed a more academic path, and was very popular in his time, but largely forgotten today, like many of the academicians."

Julius Kronberg, David och Saul, 1885

Julius Kronberg and his daughter, with charcoal preliminary for a mural
Maquettes by Julius Kronberg
"I thought you might find his work interesting since he worked with imaginative subjects and built his own models, props and maquettes to aid him in this, just like many others and like you've written about in Imaginative Realism." 

Julius Kronberg Queen of Sheba
"His studio is now also part of Skansen, an outdoor museum in Stockholm, and it is open to the public but only a few weeks a year." 

Thanks, Staffan.


9 comments:

  1. Wow! Thanks Staffan! Thanks James!

    I don't know whether to feel sad that there's so much unknown (to me) talent out there, or to feel glad that there's that much yet to discover.

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  2. Unbelievable beauty. The charcoal rendering for the mural--oh if only I could draw like that one day. One day! Wow. Thank you so much for sharing.

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  3. One of many things that keep me going is knowing that at most points in western art history, there were many skilled artists relatively unknown today, who were both excellent in skill and concept and managed to make a living doing it. Gives me hope or rather there is hope for me yet!

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  4. His paintings remind me of Frederick Lord Leighton and Alma Tadema. Noat a copy, but from the same general style.

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  5. Mr Gurney, sorry if this comment is not on topic, but I wanted to bring to your attention the illustrations of a board game called Uchronia, that seems to borrow heavily on your creation. Only on the box, I can spot skybax riders flying over waterfall city. Picture of the game box at this link : https://sanildefanso.wordpress.com/2013/01/08/rome-demands-dinosaurs-uchronia-review/

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  6. I am sure that he knew about Alma Tadema as Marian rightly mentions. :o)

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  7. Thx Staffan for presenting such a great forgotten artist

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  8. A great painter from my favorite period. Thanks James!

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  9. Check the album cover of ABBA The Visitors

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