Swedish artist, Jakob Kulle, produced wholesome genre scenes depicting everyday moments from rural life. They’re quiet and respectful, and generally lacking sentimental embellishments. Grandmothers teach granddaughters the family craft, couples exchange loving glances, and the house cat polishes off the last of the chicken.

In each of his scenes, the light is carefully observed and often cascades through an interior from a single window. In a way, his works are reminiscent of 17th-century Dutch interior scenes but updated for the 19th-century. He painted subjects that everyone could relate to - particularly the middle classes who were looking for familiarity rather than history.

Alongside his work as a painter, Jakob Kulle also became a pioneer in textiles. Together with his sister-in-law, Thora Kulle, he travelled throughout Skane, Sweden, in search of decorative patterns often found in countryside cottages. His passion for folk handicrafts led to the creation of weaving schools in Lund and Stockholm.

Today, Kulle is represented in several public collections including the Nationalmuseum in Stockholm, the Kristianstads museum, the Kulturhistoriska museet in Lund, and the Malmö Museum.

1838

Born in Lund, Sweden, to brewer and innkeeper Ola Nilsson and Elna Nilsdottir.

1855

Apprenticed as a goldsmith.

1864-1872

Enrolled at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts, Stockholm.

1891

Married Eva Amanda Elvira Hallberg.

1898

Died in Stockholm, Sweden.