158. ERNST LUNDSTRÖM. Arild's location in Skåne.

Oil on canvas, 30 x 50,5 cm. Signed Ernst Lundström.

Few phenomena in the art world arouse such fascination as the artists' colonies that emerged in various places in the late 19th century, in particular. For us Swedes, perhaps, we think mainly of the famous French colony of Grez, while the Danes have their Skagen. However, there was also a Swedish counterpart to the Skagen colony and it was the artists' colony in Skåne Arild, which was also established earlier than its famous Danish counterpart. Swedish artists such as Fritz von Dardel, Gustaf Rydberg, Carl Skånberg, Gustaf Cederström, Carl Fredrik Hill, Richard Bergh, Charlotte Wahlström, Elisabeth Keyser and Ernst Lundström came here, but also Danish artists such as Peder Severin Kröyer and Viggo Pedersen visited the colony. Arild's old fishing villages, the locals, the light, nature and the sea exerted an allure on the artists who sought new motifs for their creation. Mor Cilla's guest house served as a hub in Arild, where the Swedish and Danish artists met and exchanged experiences.

Even in the early 20th century, Arild continued to attract artists such as Einar Jolin, Agnes Cleve and Isaac Grünewald, but over time this important part of Nordic art history came to fall into oblivion. In recent years, however, the artists' colony in Arild has again attracted attention. In February 2021, the association Friends of Arild Artists was formed. They are actively working to inform about the importance that the colony had in Nordic art life in the late 19th century and the association will publish a book about the colony later this year. In Denmark, too, the importance of the artists' colony in Arild has been highlighted. Last year, Nivaagaards Malerisamling showed the exhibition “Kunstnerskolonierne Hornbaek & Arild”, which, among other things, attracted attention in Sveriges Radio.

One of the 19th century Swedish artists who visited the colony was Ernst Lundström and one of the results of his stay in Arild can be seen in the painting of the auction. Ernst Lundström was born in Stockholm in 1831 and he studied at the Art Academy during the late 1870s. He then undertook study trips in Germany, Italy, Belgium and France until 1882. Three years later he again made a trip to France. In addition to Normandy, he also painted in Grez and perhaps it was the experience of the artists' colony there that led him to apply to the artists' colony in Arild. The auction's painting demonstrates the elegant outdoor technique that Ernst Lundström had acquired during his stays in France and Venice.

Ernst Lundström was a member of the Opponents. He took an active part in the battles against the Academy and for several years was a member of the Artists' Association, where for some time he was also a member of the board of directors. At the schism of 1890, however, he joined the Swedish Artists' Association. Ernst Lundström exhibited, among other things, at the Nordic Art Exhibition in Copenhagen in 1883 and at the Chicago World's Fair in 1893. He was also a skilled craftsman and he made, among other things, a cabinet together with Nils Kreuger, which was sold at auction a few years ago for 380,000 kronor.

Supplementary image:
Ernst Lundström Photography.