Johan Christoffer Boklund - The Young Artist

Johan Christoffer Boklund (1817-1880)

The Young Artist 

oil on canvas mounted on board
canvas dimensions 40 x 31.5 cm
frame 53 x 45 cm

Essay:
Introducing a captivating oil painting by Johan Christoffer Boklund (1817-1880). The artwork depicts a young boy practicing his painting skills. Seated beside him is a wooden horse that he is diligently recreating on a round wooden panel. His painting style is simple, revealing his early stage as an artist. The horse he paints consists of straight lines, almost resembling a stick figure, which adds a charming element when juxtaposed with the actual wooden horse.

In 1837, Johan Christoffer Boklund arrived in Stockholm and joined the Royal Academy of Fine Arts. In 1846, accompanied by Johan Fredrik Höckert, he embarked on a journey to Munich, where he stayed for eight years. It was during this period that he developed his artistic skills further. In 1853, he sent his painting "The Curious Trumpeter" back to Sweden, which earned him a government scholarship and paved the way for his subsequent journey to Paris. In Paris, he worked at Thomas Couture's studio from 1854 to 1855. Boklund returned to Sweden in December 1855.

Upon his return, he became a teacher at the Academy of Fine Arts in 1856 and was appointed as a professor. That same year, he played a key role in the establishment of the Artists' Club (Konstnärsklubben). From 1856 to 1872, he served as the tutor to King Charles XV. In 1861, he became a member of the committee responsible for organizing the interior of the National Museum and acted as the acting treasurer at the Royal Museum. In 1866, he became the head curator of the Art Department at the National Museum and, in 1867, the court curator, overseeing Karl XV's painting collection, as well as serving as the director of the Royal Academy of Fine Arts. Boklund was also a committee member involved in organizing the Nordic Art Exhibition in Stockholm in 1866.

His works can be found in various art institutions, including the Nationalmuseum in Stockholm, the Gothenburg Museum of Art, the Vänersborg Museum, the Norrköping Art Museum, and the Kalmar Art Museum.

Provenance: 
Ruth Dagmar Brovall (1885-1971), Who was a relative of Boklund; Later - inherited within her family until 2005; Sold at Roslags Auctions, Norrtälje.