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Lot Essay
The authenticity of this work has kindly been comfirmed by Birgitta Sandström.
During his lifetime, Anders Zorn was a painter of international acclaim. Born and raised in Sweden, he lived in London and Paris and travelled extensively throughout Europe and America. During his lifetime Zorn was a popular society portraitist and, along with artists such as John Singer Sargent and Giovanni Boldini, he painted some of the great figures of his time. In addition to portraiture, Zorn became known for his extraordinary paintings of the female nude in nature. While still a student, Zorn earned a reputation for his portraits. He is still regarded as one of Sweden's most proficient portraitists, and the best known internationally.
In the present work Zorn portrayed the Diplomat and King's Chamberlain Harald Bildt. The son of Carl Bildt and his American wife Liljan Moore, Harald Bildt was born in England in 1876 but spent his childhood in Rome where his father was a Swedish Minister. Having finished a Bachelor of Arts in Law Haraldt Bildt was employed by the Swedish Foreign Ministry in 1899 and worked as an attaché, a counsellor and First Secretary in various countries. This portrait was painted 1906, after Bildt received the medal of the Order of Knights (Riddartecknet), which was founded by the Spanish King Carlos III (1716 - 1788). In 1912 he was appointed a Chamberlain of the Swedish Royal King (Kammarherren). Bildt died in 1947 and is buried in the Bildt family grave of the Bildtfamily in Morlanda, Orust.
Although the work is carefully composed and executed, Zorn has tried to give it a feeling of improvisation by the use of lively brushwork and by creating the impression of having captured the subject at a given moment.
During his lifetime, Anders Zorn was a painter of international acclaim. Born and raised in Sweden, he lived in London and Paris and travelled extensively throughout Europe and America. During his lifetime Zorn was a popular society portraitist and, along with artists such as John Singer Sargent and Giovanni Boldini, he painted some of the great figures of his time. In addition to portraiture, Zorn became known for his extraordinary paintings of the female nude in nature. While still a student, Zorn earned a reputation for his portraits. He is still regarded as one of Sweden's most proficient portraitists, and the best known internationally.
In the present work Zorn portrayed the Diplomat and King's Chamberlain Harald Bildt. The son of Carl Bildt and his American wife Liljan Moore, Harald Bildt was born in England in 1876 but spent his childhood in Rome where his father was a Swedish Minister. Having finished a Bachelor of Arts in Law Haraldt Bildt was employed by the Swedish Foreign Ministry in 1899 and worked as an attaché, a counsellor and First Secretary in various countries. This portrait was painted 1906, after Bildt received the medal of the Order of Knights (Riddartecknet), which was founded by the Spanish King Carlos III (1716 - 1788). In 1912 he was appointed a Chamberlain of the Swedish Royal King (Kammarherren). Bildt died in 1947 and is buried in the Bildt family grave of the Bildtfamily in Morlanda, Orust.
Although the work is carefully composed and executed, Zorn has tried to give it a feeling of improvisation by the use of lively brushwork and by creating the impression of having captured the subject at a given moment.