Carl Larsson (Swedish, 1853-1919)

Larsson is one of the most famous Swedish artists and perhaps the most beloved people. He is known for his watercolor paintings of idyllic family life.

Carl Larsson was a painter and interior designer, representative of the Arts and Crafts Movement. His many paintings include oils, watercolors and frescoes.

He considered his finest work to be Midvinterblot (Midwinter Sacrifice), a large wall mural now displayed inside the Swedish National Museum of Fine Arts.

Larsson was born in 'Gamla stan', the old town in Stockholm, in 1853. His parents were extremely poor and his childhood sad and miserable. However, at the age of thirteen his teacher at the school for poor children urged him to seek entry into the 'principskola' of the Stockholm Academy of Fine Arts where he also got accepted.

The first years at the 'principskola' he felt socially inferior, confused and shy. In 1869, sixteen years old, he got promoted to the 'antique school' of the same academy.

There Carl Larsson became more sure of him self and he even became a central figure in student life. After several years as illustrator for books, magazines and newspapers Carl Larsson also spent several rather frustrating years in Paris as a hardworking artist without any success.

The turning point in Carl Larsson´s life came the year 1882 when he in Grez, a Scandinavian artist colony outside Paris, met Karin Bergöö (1859-1928), who soon should be his wife. One could almost call it a metamorphose in Carl Larsson´s life.

In Grez Carl Larsson painted some of his most important works - now in water-colour and very different from the more pretentious oilpainting technique.

Carl and Karin Larsson reared eight children and Karin and the children became Carl Larsson´s favourite models and many of those watercolours are now loved and cherished all over the world.

In 1888 the young family by gift got a little house, named Little Hyttnäs in Sundborn from Karin´s father Adolf Bergöö.

Carl and Karin formed and furnished this house after their own very special artistic taste and also for the needs of the growing family.

Through Carl Larsson´s paintings and his books this house has been one of the most famous artist-homes in the world.

The descendants of Carl and Karin Larsson now own this house and they are happy to be able to keep the house open for tourists each summer from May until October.