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Art Talk: “Gunnar Widforss, Painter of the National Parks”

August 25, 2022 @ 2:00 pm - 3:00 pm

FREE
A talk by Alan Petersen
Through the Roaring Twenties and the first half of the Great Depression, the Swedish-born landscape painter Gunnar Widforss (1879-1934) focused his discerning eye and passionate energy on the national parks of the American West. Due to Widforss’ untimely death at only age 55, and because the rise of modernism in the early-twentieth century consigned many highly skilled realistic painters to obscurity, Widforss’ legacy is largely unknown today. The amiable Swede led a bohemian life in search of beautiful and challenging landscapes to paint. Widforss dressed formally as he worked and always attracted wonder-struck onlookers when he painted in Yosemite Valley, on the rim of Grand Canyon, and the other locations he favored in the national parks. Park Service friends such as Ansel Hall and Stephen Mather, as well as tourists, marveled at the accuracy of his painting and the compelling way in which he was able to capture the dramatic landscapes. Widforss never resorted to sentimental or romanticized depictions, so prevalent in depictions of western subjects. He very well may be viewed as one of the greatest artists to paint the West and his obscurity is a paradox. The story of Widforss’ life and work is one of great triumph in realistic painting, and the tragedy of his anonymity and death is a captivating story of a Swedish expatriate who fell in love with the American landscape.
Today, Widforss’ work is known only to a small number of dedicated collectors, the descendants of his family and friends, and those who discover his gem-like paintings when they visit the national parks he depicted.
Curator and author Alan Petersen has been uncovering Widforss’ fascinating story. He has published a catalogue raisonné of Widforss’ works and is working on a monograph on the artist. The catalogue raisonné is available online at gunnarwidforss.org.
Alan Petersen, Curator of Fine Arts for the Museum of Northern Arizona, worked on the South Rim of Grand Canyon for three years before moving to Flagstaff to attend NAU in 1980. Alan has curated exhibitions of work by such notable artists as Gunnar Widforss, Joella Jean Mahoney, Mary-Russell Ferrell Colton, Merrill Mahaffey, Bruce Aiken, Ed Mell, and Curt Walters, among many others.
Alan recently published the Gunnar Widforss Catalogue Raisonné (2020) and continues his work on a monograph on Widforss’ life and art. In 2018, he co-curated an exhibition of the artist’s work in collaboration with the Ljunbergmuseet in Sweden.
Before retiring, Alan taught art history, drawing, and courses pertaining to the Colorado
Plateau region at Coconino Community College in Flagstaff since 1992. His own art work explores the sources of uranium in Grand Canyon.
This is a free event with fika for sale.
To make a reservation please email [email protected] or call 773.782.8111

Details

Date:
August 25, 2022
Time:
2:00 pm - 3:00 pm
Cost:
FREE
Event Category:
Website:
https://www.facebook.com/events/1111075986498545

Venue

Swedish American Museum
5211 N. Clark St.
Chicago,IL60640United States
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