A bright impressionistic landscape painting depicting a road with buildings in the village of Gårdsvy, Sweden. The artist, Justus Evald Lundegård (1860-1924), has used a high-key palette to flood the scene with light. It’s a beautiful piece that reminds us of the French impressionists.

Lundegård was a man that knew his own mind. From an early age, his father encouraged him to pursue a trade that would lead to a solid profession. But during his education, he found that his sensitive nature was contrary to a traditional career. As a result, he enrolled himself in Edvard Perséu's painting school where he discovered his true calling.

Like many, his style changed dramatically when he visited Paris and studied the impressionists who were beginning to gain prominence. From here, he abandoned his classical style and began adopting looser brushwork and a lighter palette. This particular piece would’ve been painted around that time - when he returned to Sweden and took his new approach with him.

Lundegård exhibited at the Paris Salon in 1892 and his work is held in several public collections, including the National Museum in Stockholm.

Medium: Oil on canvas
Overall size: 24½” x 15½” / 62cm x 39cm
Year of creation: c. 1900
Provenance: Sweden
Condition: Extensive craquelure but the paint layer is stable. Areas around the edges where the paint is thin. Canvas relined and attached to a later stretcher.
Artist’s auction highlight: £5,472 achieved for ‘Franskt Vinterlandskap’ in 2003.