Carl Larsson
Born into poverty, Carl Larsson (Swedish, 1853–1919) earned a scholarship to study art and succeeded in supporting himself as an illustrator of books and periodicals. He lived in Paris for several years before meeting artist Karin Bergöö, who encouraged his transition from large-scale allegorical oil paintings to light-infused watercolors—the medium for which Larsson is best known. The two married and moved into a cozy cottage in rural Sundborn, Sweden, where they raised their eight children. In Sundborn, he found his artistic voice, documenting his home, family, friends, and neighbors in charming detail. Larsson—whose style was a unique amalgam of Swedish folk traditions, English Arts and Crafts design ideas, and Art Nouveau with Japanese influences—is still revered as Sweden’s best-loved artist.