This late-19th-century oil painting by Swedish artist Oscar Torna (1842-1894) depicts a river landscape at Grez-Sur-Loing, France, under moonlight. Torna was an important figure in the evolution of Swedish naturalism.

Heavy silhouetted boughs obscure the moon, while the silent river shimmers in silver. It’s an evocative scene, a near-monochromatic masterclass in nocturnal painting. Tranquillity, solitude, the restorative qualities of nature - the artist found it here.

Born in Kättilstad parish, Östergötland, Sweden, Torna initially trained in commerce before pursuing his artistic endeavours. In 1863, he enrolled at the Royal Swedish Academy of Fine Arts in Stockholm and embarked on a lengthy period of formal tuition.

Considered one of its most promising students, his early works were soon exhibited by the Academy, where they were met enthusiastically. His ‘Oak Forest with Approaching Storm’ was acquired by the Stockholm Art Association.

At this point in his career, his methods were based upon the views of his tutors, which tended to be formulaic. He’d been instructed, for example, to adopt pleasing compositions, which idealised the natural world, rather than replicated it. Individualism was frowned upon and the old masters were glorified. Budding artists were also discouraged from completing a work entirely outside as studies from nature were seen as little more than a memory aid. Finished works were typically undertaken within the confines of a studio.

Despite his early success, Torna was plagued by restlessness and sought to broaden his horizons via travel - first heading to Düsseldorf, the home of academic landscape painting. Yet, despite its riches, he soon became disenchanted by the lack of innovation and moved to Paris - a city abundant with new ideas.

Here, within the cafes and ateliers, he discovered a culture blossoming with individual spirit - urging its artists to express their unique characteristics. In nearby Fontainebleau, painters such as Charles-François Daubigny and Jules Louis Dupré were completing finished works instinctively from life. Easel under one arm, ham and wine under the other, canvases strapped to their backs. It was liberating, free, and, importantly, real.

Torna was mesmerised and undertook a six-month study trip in 1876 with a group of French artists to learn the methods of working ‘en plein air’. It was physically harder than he’d imagined, with the added requirement of carrying all of his equipment, but the standard of his output during this period suggests he adapted quickly.

He documented his experiences in ‘Summer Landscape near Fontainebleau (1876)’, which is currently in Sweden’s Nationalmuseum. 

Later that year, he travelled to the picturesque village of Grez-sur-Loing, near Fontainebleau, and painted along its river. Attached at various points to its banks are wooden wash-houses, which became a point of interest for numerous visiting artists. He included one on the right in this nocturne.

He produced a near identical daylight composition titled ‘River Landscape, Grez-sur-Loing’, which was subsequently acquired by the academy as reference material for students. His plein air studies were met with broad appeal and he was shown twice at the Paris Salon.

Returning to Sweden, he arranged a solo exhibition and continued to evolve his techniques with his subjects derived from Stockholm's plentiful archipelago. Over time, his works became an amalgamation of his formal academic principles and the expressive attitudes of the French. It could be referred to as ‘academic naturalism’. 

Today, he’s regarded as an influential figure in the changing attitudes of late 19th-century Swedish art. He’s represented at the National Museum, Riksdagshuset, Gothenburg's art museum, Östergötland, Malmö Museum, Norrköping Art Museum, the Academy of Arts, the Nordic Museum and Lund University Art Museum.

Signed/dated and inscribed ‘Paris’. Held in a later frame.

Learn more about Oscar Torna in our directory.

Medium: Oil on canvas
Overall size: 32” x 25” / 82cm x 63cm
Year of creation: 1878
Provenance: Private collection, Cologne, Germany.
Condition: Cleaned. Canvas relined. Frame in excellent condition.
Artist’s auction maximum: £38,500 for ‘Children playing in a meadow by a village (1888)’, Oil on canvas, Sotheby's, London, 19th and 20th Century Scandinavian Paintings, Watercolours and Sculpture, 2000 (lot 72).
Our reference: BRV1889