Olof Hermelin - Lilla Värtan, 1909

Olof Hermelin (1827-1913) Swedish

Winter Landscape, Lilla Värtan, 1909

Olof Hermelin was a Swedish painter, author and landowner.
He studied at Uppsala University and the military school in Stockholm; joining the Halland Regiment in 1848. However, his military career turned out to be short-lived as he resigned the following year and settled down on his property in Österby.
During his time in Stockholm, he had taken classes from the landscape painter Tore Billing at the Royal Swedish Academy of Fine Arts and had decided to pursue a career as an artist instead. In 1852, he married Malin Lucie Liljenstolpe. He made study trips to Copenhagen, Düsseldorf, Paris, Belgium and the Netherlands in 1870. Three years later, he revisited Düsseldorf and Paris and made the first visit to London. While in France, he was exposed to the work of the Barbizon School, which had a major influence on his future style. Part of this involved the practice of painting en Plein air.
This practice of painting can be seen in our painting ”Lilla Värtan” from 1909, painted on the spot, from the area Värtan close to the city centre of Stockholm.
We can see the brilliance of his talent in depicting Swedish nature with its beautiful colours and light.
Earlier in his artistic carrier, he joined the Swedish group of artists known as the Opponenterna, which was opposed to what they felt were the archaic teaching methods at the Academy.
Olof's works can be seen at the Nationalmuseum and the Göteborgs konstmuseum among several others.

oil on canvas mounted on board
dated and signed 1909 O.Hermelin
canvas dimensions 8.66 x 15.35 inches (22 x 39 cm)
frame 12.79 x 19.68 inches (32.5 x 50 cm)

Provenance:
A Swedish Private Collection