Anders Zorn (Part II)

Anders Zorn (Part 2): 
Travelling the World, Remembering the Land 
at Fundación MAPFRE, Madrid 
until 17 May 

If you missed the first of my two talks about Anders Zorn, don’t miss this one! He is such a fabulous artist, but short of travelling to his hometown of Mora in Sweden there are relatively few opportunities to see his work. Not only will this second talk include some of his most spectacular paintings, but – thanks to the organisation of the exhibition as I saw it in Hamburg – it also includes important works from all stages of his career. Among these are displays of his phenomenal technical skill, rich and sometimes surprising use of colour, and wonderful handling of paint – luscious imagery that is second to none, but closely allied to the paintings of John Singer Sargent and Joaquín Sorolla, the colleagues and acquaintances with whom he is often allied.
 
Whereas the first talk was chronological, this one will be thematic, and will look at his portraiture, his printmaking, his depiction of the human figure within the landscape, and his paintings inspired by the landscape and customs of the Swedish Province of Dalarna, where he grew up, and where he returned having achieved global fame. Each section of the Hamburg display could have been an exhibition in its own right, which explains why there is enough material for two talks - a valid excuse to relish so much visual pleasure.

Please remember, I do not record my talks.