This early 20th-century oil painting by Swedish artist Severin Nilsson (1846-1918) depicts a landscape with cottages at twilight.
As the sun drifts beyond the horizon, the sky remains illuminated while the land becomes little more than a silhouette. The glow of a cottage window alludes to a welcoming fire. Perhaps it’s a bolthole for the artist himself.
Nilsson was an important contributor to the progression of Swedish landscape art. Training first at the Royal Swedish Academy and later in Paris. His amalgam of traditional draughtsmanship and French ‘plein air’ painting produced exquisite results. Here, in this study from around 1910, he’s working fast to capture the fleeting, and final, effects of daylight.
Signed and held within a gilt frame.
Medium: Oil on board
Overall size: 16” x 10½” / 40cm x 27cm
Year of creation: c. 1910
Provenance: Private collection, Sweden.
Condition: Artwork presents well. Fine craquelure but the paint is stable. Frame with some light wear.
Artist’s auction maximum: £69,000
Swedish artist Johan Severin Nilsson was an accomplished Swedish painter of landscapes, figures and portraits. His views are rooted in the ideologies of the Düsseldorf school. He was also a talented photographer. Nilsson trained at the Royal Swedish Academy of Fine Arts, Stockholm and later in Paris under Léon Bonnat. His works are held in numerous public collections including at the National Museum.
Learn more about Severin Nilsson in our directory.
We care profoundly about our role as custodians and every piece in the collection has been assessed by our conservator. When required, we undertake professional restoration carefully using reversible techniques and adopt a light touch to retain the aged charm of each work.
