Sam Uhrdin - Moments of Reflection

Sam Uhrdin (1886-1964) Sweden

Moments of Reflection

oil on canvas
signed Sam Uhrdin 
canvas dimensions 65 x 55 cm
with frame 83 x 72 cm

Essay:
We are pleased to present a captivating painting by the artist Sam Uhrdin (1886-1964). This beautiful artwork depicts a woman from Dalarna, sitting in front of a warm, glowing fire. The entire painting is bathed in a soft, radiant light, particularly illuminating her face and traditional white/red attire. The woman appears contemplative, lost in thought, perhaps thinking of someone dear to her heart. She is depicted in a kitchen, taking a moment to relax after a day's chores in her home.

Sam Uhrdin's artistic journey began in the early 1900s, he traveled to Stockholm in 1903 to further continue his studies in painting. He worked as a painter during the day and attended various evening schools in the evenings. In 1906, he journeyed to America to work as a sign painter, but he mainly ended up working as an upholsterer. Returning to Leksand in 1909 via London and Paris, his artistic talent gained recognition, and with the help of some patrons, he began studying at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts in 1911, occasionally attending Althin's painting school in Stockholm. Financial circumstances cut his study time short, and his skill as a portrait painter earned him numerous portrait commissions, which further occupied his time.

In 1921, Uhrdin received a scholarship from the Royal Academy, enabling him to embark on a study trip in 1922 to the Netherlands, Belgium, and France, which he had to cut short due to his wife's illness. He later visited places like Spain and Portugal.

Uhrdin's breakthrough came with his portrait of the former Prime Minister Nils Edén, which he executed in 1919. In 1921, he portrayed the participants of the Swedish Academy. Among other representatives of official Sweden captured by Uhrdin were Gustav V, Manne Siegbahn, Ludvig Stavenow, and bishops Gottfrid and Einar Billing. In 1932, he held a solo exhibition at Konstnärshuset in Stockholm, and he participated in various exhibitions, including the Swedish Artists' Association in Stockholm in 1917, Swedish Art at Valand-Chalmers in Gothenburg in 1923, Dalarna Artists displayed at Liljevalchs Konsthall in 1936, and the National Museum's traveling exhibition "Barnet i konsten" (Children in Art) in 1965.

Uhrdin had a deep affection for the old Dala culture, and in a timber building in Tibble, he collected old objects from Leksand's culture, such as costumes, furniture, and household items, which he later used as props in his paintings. His artistic repertoire included genre paintings, portraits, and landscapes, with a particular focus on capturing the beauty of Dalarna. From 1935, he owned Tibble Manor outside Leksand. Uhrdin's artworks can be found in prestigious collections, including the National Museum in Stockholm, Leksand's Art Gallery, Uppsala University, and Leksand's Church, featuring his unfinished painting "Begravning i Leksand" (Burial in Leksand).

Provenance: 
A private collection Malmö, Sweden.