Mats Paulson's lyrical landscapes

The acclaimed troubadour and singer Mats Paulson (1938-2021) may be less known as a visual artist. However, he was endlessly creative and constantly switched between art forms. This is evident at Crafoord Auktioner Stockholm as we now offer the final collected paintings from Mats Paulson's studio.

In Mats Paulson's lyrical world, it was almost always summertime. The archipelago sea shimmered, flower gardens swayed, bare feet tiptoed in dewy grass, and eating, drinking, and dancing took place al fresco in lilac-scented warm evenings without end. The nature romanticism in songs like "Visa vid vindens ängar" (Visa by the Windy Meadows), "Baggenslåten" (The Baggie Tune), and "Barfotavisan" (The Barefoot Song) made him beloved by the people.

The landscapes smiled and flourished in Mats Paulson's paintings as well. He received training from Signe Barth, Leo Verde, and Idun Lovén. The surroundings of his summer residence in Urshult, Småland, where he had his first studio, and later in Saltsjöbaden, were recurring sources of inspiration. It was not about exact representation. Mats Paulson often carried a sketchbook with him, gathering different impressions that were then combined as a synthesis in his studio.

Similar to his songs, there is something lovably familiar in the motifs expressed in his own way with various techniques - naive but never trivial. In his later production, Mats Paulson also explored abstract painting to challenge and surprise himself. In total, his art was exhibited about 40 times.

The fact that Crafoord Auktioner Stockholm can offer Mats Paulson's very last works directly from his studio on Ljuskärrsberget in Saltsjöbaden is seen as a tribute to a beloved artist - and to the summer!