Carl Johansson - Winter Walk, 1886

Carl Johansson (1863-1944) Sweden

Winter Walk, 1886
(Vinterpromenaden, 1886)

oil on wood panel
signed and dated Carl Johansson -86-
unframed 31.5 x 24 cm (12.4 x 9.4 inches)
framed 42 x 34 cm (16.5 x 13.4 inches)

Condition: 
When it first arrived to the gallery, the painting was in great need of restoration. There were several cracks in the paint layer, as well as old dirt and varnish. Our conservator has done a fantastic job with the painting; it took time, but the final result is so much better than what we could expect. The painting comes with a handmade black frame from Stockholms Förgyllning och Bildhuggeri.

Essay:
This serene winter scene, painted in 1886 by the Swedish artist Carl Johansson, portrays a tranquil walk through a snowy landscape. A lone figure strolls down a snow-covered path, surrounded by the graceful presence of birch trees, their bare branches adding to the quiet beauty of the moment. The landscape, gently illuminated by soft pastel hues of a winter sky, reflects Johansson’s early mastery of capturing the subtleties of light and nature.

Johansson, born in Härnösand, drew much of his inspiration from the northern regions of Sweden, though he also painted landscapes from France, Tenerife, and Italy. He had a unique way of painting sunlight at a specific angle of 30 degrees north-northwest in all of his works, adding a distinct tonal quality to his compositions.

The painting Winter Walk was created just a year after Johansson joined the Opponents (Opponenterna), a group of artists who broke away from the traditional Swedish Royal Academy of Art to advocate for modern approaches to painting. His early works, such as this one, are extremely rare, demonstrating his attention to technical detail and traditional style before he transitioned to a more impressionistic approach influenced by artists like Claude Monet and Camille Pissarro.

Throughout his career, Johansson traveled extensively, including study trips to France, Tenerife, and Italy. He exhibited internationally, including at the 1889 Exposition Universelle in Paris and the Panama-Pacific International Exposition in 1915. Though his style evolved, incorporating impressionist techniques and colder, more atmospheric tones, Winter Walkremains a beautiful example of his early period’s delicate and realistic treatment of landscapes.

Carl Johansson was a respected figure in Swedish art, known for his meticulous technique and later for his impressionist influences. He earned the nickname “Ultramarine-Johansson” for his use of a distinct blue tone in many of his later works. In 1934, he was elected as a member of the Royal Swedish Academy of Fine Arts, and today, his works are held in prestigious collections, including the Nationalmuseum in Stockholm and Kalmar Art Museum.