Carl Larsson’s footsteps

Carl Larsson 1916, at the church in Sundborn

Carl Larsson [1853 – 1919] och Karin Larsson [1859 – 1928]

Probably, it is Carl Larsson’s watercolors from everyday life and party in Sundborn, which is best known by the artist’s extensive production. Through Kulturstråk Sundborn you will be able to visit some of the places where Carl painted his Sundborn motifs. In many cases, the environment is preserved so much that you can still recognize the surroundings about 100 years later. In other cases, it takes some imagination to wipe out additional houses and farms.

Carl and Karin got the property “Lilla Hyttnäs” by Karin’s father Adolf Bergöö [1828 – 1890]. Adolf was born on Övre Krokfors just south of the Sundborn village. It was his sisters Maria and Ulla who lived at Lilla Hyttnäs until 1888, when one sister passed away and the other no longer wanted to live alone. Adolf Bergöö then gave away the farm to Carl and Karin, who was reminded of the French village where they met, Grèz sur Loing, just outside Paris. Here the French river Loing has been replaced by Sundbornsån.

Take a good friend and wander around the village and move to another time when it was agriculture that was the basis of Sundbornsborna’s livelihood. Be sure to visit the Sundborn Church, the Portrait collection, Stora Hyttnäs, Konsthallen Kvarnen and of course the home of Carl and Karin Larsson.

Welcome!

The Bridge

Carl Larsson ”The Bridge”, watercolour 1897 The couple in the carriage are Carl Larsson’s parents. His mother and father, who were then 75 years old, have just moved from Stockholm to Kartbacken Cottage in Sundborn, which Carl Larsson had bought for t...

The Bonde's storehouse

”Lisskulla by the storehouse”, watercolour 1915 The girl in Carl Larsson’s painting is Frida Hellberg, the youngest of carpenter Hellberg’s eight children. The name Liskulla is Dalecarlian dialect for a young girl or woman. At the beginning of the ...

Breakfast in the open

Carl Larsson ”Breakfast in the open”, oil 1910–1913 Bullerholmen, due south of Carl Larsson-gården in Sundborn, is where breakfas is being served. Everything needed for a festive breakfast has been conveyed from Lilla Hyttnäs in a rowing boat. The daughte...

Crayfishing

Carl Larsson ”The crayfish season opens”, watercolour 1897 Carl Larsson writes: ”On August fifteenth the crayfish season opens. Then it’s as if we are full of new life. All the nets and fishing-rods are ready and when the stroke of midnight sounds ...

Mowing

Carl Larsson ”Mowing”, watercolour 1905 Carl Larsson writes: ”Now the timothy, clover and all of those delightful small meadow flowers that have insinuated themselves among the crops will have to bow their heads, fall and quietly die as Brunte draws...

Harvest

Carl Larsson ”Rye harvest”, watercolour 1905 Carl Larsson writes: ”Johan mows in his shirt sleeves, shaving off the earth’s golden beard that falls softly and willingly, ripe as it is, in long rows that Johanna and Tekla bind up into sheaves. Bäckstr...

Spadarvet

Carl Larsson - ”Apple harvest”, watercolour 1904 Carl Larsson writes 1905 about the 1904 apple harvest, then with his wife in the picture: ”It was already necessary, in the middle of the summer, to put supports under the branches which would have broken ...

Potato harvest

Carl Larsson - “Potato harvest”, watercolour 1905 Carl Larsson writes: ”The children are off school to help with the potatoes. … Johan is ploughing our field in Kartbacken followed by a potato mobilised gang of womenand children. It is a really g...

The Dam

Carl Larsson - ”The rapids near Spadarvet”, oil 1893 The painting shows how the falls looked before the power station and the dam were built in 1900. Along the river there were several waterpowered mills and sawmills that were driven by the weir on ...

Foundries

Carl Larsson - "The log flume", watercolour 1896 Here Carl Larsson depicts the turbulent Sundborn River and the magnificent log flume. After the construction of Sundborn power station 1900-1903, rafting ceased and the landscape changed. As early ...

The manure pile

Carl Larsson - ”The manure pile”, watercolour 1905 Carl Larsson writes: ”The farmer’s treasure trove… Certainly we look after the dung heap, but perhaps not enough. The sun and the wind are two manure thieves, and it is in order to keep them out,...

A farm

Carl Larsson - "The barn", watercolour 1905 Carl Larsson writes in his book ”Spadarvet my little farm”: ”Oh, come and see my Johanna, I beg you wanderer, stay! I’m embarrassed here… I’m always moved when Krona, Blomma and Docka (the cows) look ...

The washing jetty

Carl Larsson - ”Washing jetty on Sundborn River”, watercolour 1917 This summer idyll is painted in August. That it is crayfish season is obvious from the crayfish baskets and traps lying on the washing jetty where a washerwoman is rinsing her was...

Kartbacken

Carl Larsson - ”Father and mother”, watercolour 1901 Carl Larsson painted his father and mother among the flowers around Kartbacken in Sundborn, the house he bought for his parents in 1897. This was possible because of his earnings from his work in the hallwa...

Paradise

Carl Larsson - ”Paradise”, watercolour 1910 This south slope of the village with a view of the fields and meadows was earlier called Kattbacken with farm names like Eden, The garden of Eden and Paradise. Carl and Karin are here sitting on the gre...

Sundin the tailor’s house

Carl Larsson - ”Brita a cat and a sandwich”, watercolour 1898 This is Carl Larsson’s daughter Brita standing with a sandwich in her hand in front of tailor Sundin’s house in Målarbacksvägen. The house was later moved to its present position, with the ...

In the church

Carl Larsson - ”At church”, watercolour 1905 Carl Larsson writes: ”We country folk really need God, church and priest. We witness God’s miracles from close proximity, every day, and we feel completely dependent on his mercy and blessings. If the ...

Fishing

Carl Larsson - "Fishing", watercolour 1905 Carl Larsson writes: ”It is indescribably awful to get up at 5 o’clock on these drizzly, cold spring mornings – every day! - to leave one’s bed to row over to Bullerholmsviken to empty the nets. The wate...

To church

Carl Larsson - ”Kersti sledging”, watercolour 1901 Carl Larsson wrote in his accounts book: ”1901 Vignette for ”Jultomten” (a magazine): Kersti sleighing 500 kr. ” Santa is holding the reins to this Christmas goat-drawn sleigh with CL’s daught...

Harvesting ice

Carl Larsson - ”Harvesting ice”, watercolour 1905 Carl Larsson writes: ”The ice has to be harvested before the end of February! That is the sum total of my wisdom concerning the matter. The ice is sawn into blocks – larger than normal sugar blocks ...