Swedish artist Arvid Mauritz Lindström produced a plentiful selection of dramatic landscapes, predominantly of the waterside woodlands of Sweden.

Swedish art in the 19th-Century was dominated for the most part by landscape paintings and Lindström established a reputation for himself as one of the finest. He was often praised for his effective use of colour. His winter scenes present pristine blankets of snow which enhance the desolate spindly nature of the leafless trees. His evocations of spring capture the light upon the river’s surface and the budding leaves with a tentativeness hinting at new-born nature. His works are a celebration of the Swedish landscape.

Lindström’s oeuvre possesses a plentiful amount of naturalist works, nature depicted in extreme likeness. There are, however, touches of loose brushwork and lighter colours in an impressionistic style. Indeed, whilst Lindström painted a favoured Swedish subject, he was keen to travel abroad in order to experiment with different styles. He lived in London during the 1880s, exhibiting for five years at the Royal Academy. He also travelled to Munich and Paris.

In Paris in particular he made his loyalty to the cause of new styles known. In 1885 he attended a meeting of Swedish artists known as the ‘Opponents.’ The group was fighting the Academy of Fine Arts in Stockholm, which was refusing to acknowledge newer styles of art. Along with other prominent Swedish artists such as Anders Zorn (1860-1920), Lindström demanded they allow newer styles and artists to flourish. In the end, the Academy refused, but the group remained adamant and instead created their own association for the exhibition of art. Lindström was a member, solidifying his loyalty to the progress of Swedish art.

In many ways, Lindström was an ambassador for celebrating the conventions of Swedish art as well as a proponent of newer approaches. His home in Engelsberg became a literal hub for artists in the Västmanland region. Lindström’s work and his belief in the expansion of Swedish art are both love letters to his homeland.

1849

Born in Västmanland.

1869-1872

Studied at the Royal Swedish Academy of Arts.

1877

Became an apprentice at the Royal Swedish Academy of Arts.

c. 1882

Moved to London.

1882-1887

Exhibited at the Royal Academy.

1885

Attended a meeting in Paris for the formation of ‘The Opponents,’ which would later become the Art Association.

1886

Became a member of the Art Association.

1888

Married Anna Elisabeth Helena von Götz.

1889

Returned to Sweden, settled in Engelsberg in Bergslagen.

1923

Died. Buried in Linköping.