Anders Zorn was a Swedish painter known for his depictions of nude bathers, country festivals, and portraits. Employing a restricted palette of colors, Zorn captured various qualities of light and form with free brushstrokes similar to those of John Singer Sargent. Born on February 18, 1860 in Mora, Sweden, he was admitted into the Royal Academy of Fine Arts in Stockholm at the age of 15. Mainly working in watercolor and etching until 1887, Zorn developed a sure-handed approach to color and tone that informed his oil paintings.

Reputation Grows

Over the following decades, the artist gained international acclaim for his skillfully executed portraits, and became known for his ability to capture the individual characteristics of his subjects. He notably painted the portraits of three US Presidents, William Taft, Grover Cleveland, and Theodore Roosevelt. Zorn spent much of the latter part of his career living in his hometown, painting rustic scenes of villagers. The artist died on August 22, 1920 in Mora, Sweden. Today, his works are held in the collections of the Musée d’Orsay in Paris, the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, the Nationalmuseum in Stockholm, and the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C., among others. Source: Artnet.