Alfred Thörne - Birch Trees by the Stream

Alfred Thörne (1850-1916) Sweden

Birch Trees by the Stream

oil on canvas
signed and dated Alfred.Thörne 1902
unframed 27 x 17 cm
framed 38 x 28 cm

Provenance: 
A Swedish private collection.

Essay:
This enchanting painting called Birch Trees by the Stream by Alfred Thörne captures the serene beauty of a small forest scene, measuring just 27 x 17 cm. The artwork is a testament to Thörne's fascination with nature, particularly his recurring motif of streams, as evidenced by the delicately painted creek meandering through the left side of the canvas. The sunlit birch trees, a central element in this composition, are rendered with such luminosity and detail that they seem to glow against the shadowed forest backdrop. This piece not only showcases Thörne's mastery of light and texture but also his deep appreciation for the Swedish landscape.

Alfred Thörne, born on April 24, 1850, in Horn, Östergötland, and passed away on March 15, 1916, in Stockholm, was a distinguished Swedish painter. The son of shoemaker Sven Petter Thörne and Inga Catrina Nilsdotter, he married Matilda Josefina Wahlberg in 1891. Thörne's artistic journey began at the Royal Swedish Academy of Arts in Stockholm, where he studied under Per Daniel Holm from 1874 to 1880. His exceptional talent was recognized early when he was awarded the Royal Medal in 1880 for his painting "Sommarmorgon" (Summer Morning). In 1881, he became an agré at the academy, and his pursuit of artistic excellence took him across Europe, with a travel scholarship enabling him to study in Germany, France, Italy, and Belgium from 1884 to 1886.

Thörne's oeuvre spans a variety of subjects, from the mountainous landscapes of southern Germany to the pastoral beauty of Mälardalen, Dalarna, and Bergslagen in Sweden. His work includes portraits and was also recognized for his contributions to religious art, notably an altarpiece for Vimmerby Church. His paintings were widely exhibited, including solo and group exhibitions in Stockholm, the Nordic Art and Industrial Exhibition in Copenhagen in 1888, the Gothenburg Exhibition in 1891, the World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago in 1893, and many others across Sweden. A posthumous exhibition at the Konstnärshuset in Stockholm in 1916 commemorated his contributions to Swedish art.

Thörne's legacy lives on through his representation in several prestigious institutions, including the Nordiska Museet, Nationalmuseum Stockholm, Östergötlands Museum, Norrköping's Art Museum, Gävle Museum, and Sundsvall Museum.