One of my absolute favorites...

Anders Zorn is one of my favorite painters – ever. So when a major retrospective exhibit of his work featuring 100 rarely seen pieces was showing at the Legion of Honor in San Francisco, I knew I had to go.

 

We just returned – and it was absolutely amazing! Jaw dropping would be a good adjective here.

Anders Zorn (1860-1920) was a Swedish painter known for his watercolors and oils, etchings and some sculpture too. About 100 years ago, he was one of the most famous artists in the world, rivaling John Singer Sargent.

(As a member of the California Art Club, I receive the newsletter and this fall there was a wonderful article on Anders Zorn. If you'd like to learn a lot more than I can fit in this post... Click here to read the article. )

He was accepted into the Royal Swedish Academy of Fine Arts in Stockholm at the age of 15. A fellow art student (and also a painter I regard highly) Bruno Liljefors was quoted as saying…

When I was nineteen years old, I came to the Stockholm Art Academy. In the middle of a new world among a host of young artists…I perpetually heard the name Zorn mentioned, and it was enveloped in an aura of wonder and admiration…If anyone asked what it was that caught us in the work, whether it was a trick of coloring, something original or modern, we could only answer: “It is so damned good.”

Seeing such a large body of Zorn's work in person – I would have to agree. An absolutely amazing artist!

Photography was not allowed, but I found some references to some of my favorite paintings in the show that I’ll set up as links below. It should give you a feel for his work…

Impressions de Londres 1890 - watercolor - gorgeous greys, love the composition

Fish Market in Saint Ives, 1888 - watercolor - an incredible painting, again with gorgeous greys

Emma Zorn Reading, 1887 - oil - one of his early oil paintings (he worked in watercolor first)

Margit, 1891 - oil - he can say so much with so little detail

Self-portrait in Red, 1915 - oil - what a strong painting that gives you a feel for the man  himself

Oh, and to add to the wonderment of his work... he was known for using a limited palette... for most of his painting he used only ochre, vermillion, ivory black and white. WOW.

 

The Legion of Honor also has a wonderful permanent collection with some great sculpture by Rodin...

 

The Thinker - is right out front.... 

This was one of my favorites inside by Rodin....

 

We visited the Cantor Art Center on the Stanford campus for even more Rodin....

The Gates of Hell by Rodin -

 

Detail of the Gates of Hell 

- notice the smaller version of The Thinker near the top in the center - 

 

The weather couldn't have been any better, so we did some hiking too - and I had my camera along to try some 'artistic shots'...

On the beach -

 

 In the Redwoods -

 

 

It was a fabulous trip - short but sweet! If you want to make the Zorn show, you'll have to hurry - it's ending February 2, 2014. But the book from the Show could be the next best thing....

Anders Zorn - Sweden's Master Painter

 

Our Yellowstone Zoo

- photos from our property -

 

 

Eagles have been the visitors of the day - around all morning flying back and forth down the river.

One caught a fish and ate it...

 

 With a drink afterwards to wash it down...

 

 

And by a lucky coincidence I sketched an eagle yesterday -

so we can end the post with art...

Eagle sketch in graphite and charcoal  24" x 16"
by Shirl Ireland