Art
Discover a historic art collection featuring Swedish national icons
Welcome to a unique art collection
What could be better at an konsthotell viewing original works by some of Sweden’s greatest artists? Visit our combined art gallery and dining room to see paintings by Carl Larsson, Anders Zorn, Jenny Nyström, and others—completely free of charge.
Lunch with Carl Larsson and Anders Zorn
At Skara Konsthotell , we Konsthotell art to be accessible to everyone. That’s why we have an art gallery where all our guests can enjoy original works by various 20th-century artists who have all left a significant mark on cultural history. Here, you can enjoy a delicious meal surrounded by classic works by Carl Larsson and Anders Zorn, or discover new worlds through modern artists such as Peter Dahl and Bengt Lindström.
Take the time to look at and admire the paintings, because every original painting is, just like every artist, completely unique.
Unique paintings and unique artists
Swedish art history includes several world-renowned figures. Two of them are Carl Larsson and Anders Zorn, who—in addition to being colleagues and friends—put Sweden on the map through their portraits of people, ranging from women bathing to children playing at home in Sundborn.
Larsson and Zorn also formed a trio with Bruno Liljefors, who made his name with depictions of animals and nature, often birds. His paintings resembled photographs and often portrayed animals in motion. Liljefors, too, gained international recognition and served as a member of the Berlin Academy of Arts in the early 1900s.
Anders Zorn
Anders Zorn (1860–1920) is often associated with his paintings of nude women, but he was also active as a sculptor and photographer. He was born in Mora in Dalarna, but during his lifetime he lived in England, Spain, and the United States, where he became known as a portrait painter of presidents, such as Roosevelt and Cleveland.
More than a century after his death, Zorn’s paintings of women continue to serve as a point of reference in discussions about ideals of beauty and the portrayal of women on social media—a clear sign of the timelessness of his art.
Carl Larsson
Carl Larsson (1853–1919), the forefather of classic family portraits, made Sweden and Dalarna world-renowned in artistic circles. Larsson is often associated with Sundborn, but he was born in Stockholm and moved both within Sweden and abroad. That is how he met his wife, Karin Larsson (1883–1919)—the couple met at an art school in Paris, and from there they eventually settled in Karin’s hometown of Sundborn, outside Falun.
Many of Carl Larsson’s most famous watercolors depict children and families. These accessible subjects made him a beloved artist and a cultural icon; his farm in Sundborn, outside Falun, is a popular destination for both Swedish school groups and foreign tourists.
Bruno Liljefors
Bruno Liljefors (1860–1939) became one of Sweden’s most famous landscape painters. His paintings of birds, foxes, and hares in motion were groundbreaking compared to the static depictions of animals common at the time, and his artistic career took him to Düsseldorf, Gothenburg, and Copenhagen.
Liljefors began his studies at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts’ preparatory school but dropped out after three years and instead began studying animal painting, which would become his trademark. He spent a great deal of time at his hunting lodge in the Stockholm archipelago, where he could observe birds up close, which broadened his knowledge of the animals and brought him international fame.
Jenny Nyström
Anyone who has ever seen a picture of Santa Claus in Sweden has most likely encountered a work by Jenny Nyström (1854–1946). She began her career as an oil painter at an early age (at just fifteen!), went on to the Royal Academy of Fine Arts, and was the first woman to win the academy’s competition, which earned her a scholarship for a stay in Paris.
Nyström’s distinctive and idyllic illustrations of elves began appearing in books by Viktor Rydberg and the Brothers Grimm and eventually became her most recognizable trademark. Today, books and postcards featuring Nyström’s elf motifs have been joined by everything from tableware to textiles.
Bengt Lindström
One of our more contemporary artists is Bengt Lindström (1925–2008), whose distinctive, colorful paintings are featured in public spaces.
Lindström was born in Sundsvall and returned to his hometown after studying art in Stockholm, Copenhagen, and Chicago. His works are characterized by strong, vivid colors and broad brushstrokes that often depict distorted faces.
Bengt Lindström has created a great deal of public art, which can be seen on industrial buildings, among other places. Examples include the sculpture *Y* outside Sundsvall-Timrå Airport, as well as murals at a hydroelectric power plant in Jokkmokk and a large silo in Örebro.
Peter Dahl
Peter Dahl (1934–2019) was born in Norway but moved to Bromma in Stockholm at an early age. He became a teacher at both the Royal Institute of Art in Stockholm and Valand Academy of Fine Arts in Gothenburg, and became known for his distinctive works: His painting “The Breakthrough of Liberalism in Society” was reported to the police and confiscated in 1970, but Dahl gained popularity through his illustrations of Bellman’s 87 “Epistles of Fredman.”
Dahl had studios in both Aspudden and Norr Mälarstrand in Stockholm, and in 2006 he was awarded the royal medal Illis quorom.
About Lars-Göran and the collection
The art collection on display in our art gallery belonged to the founder of Jula AB, Lars-Göran Blank. As his collection grew, Lars-Göran decided to display it to the public. The hotel, built in 2007, soon became too small for the many paintings, and in 2012 the red wing was added—thus fulfilling Lars-Göran’s dream.
With a passion for my own paintings and those of others
Lars-Göran’s interest in art was sparked at an early age, and he has created a number of oil paintings himself, three of which are on display here at the hotel: two hang in the lobby, and one is in the hallway leading to the Green Room. Anders Zorn has always been one of Lars-Göran’s favorites; for many years, he dreamed of one day owning his own Zorn painting—a dream that also came true!
The Blank family and our hotel staff are very proud to showcase both Lars-Göran’s own works and his collection of paintings by other artists. His deep passion for art lives on in our staff, who are more than happy to answer your questions about the paintings and their creators.
Welcome!