Bruno Liljefors

Biography

Bruno Liljefors was from Uppsala and entered the Academy of Fine Arts as a student in 1879. Disinterested in painting antiques, he dropped out after his third year in 1882. He first traveled to Düsseldorf to study and then continued on to Rome, Naples and Paris. The artist's stay in France was a formative period in his development, marked by his encounter with the artists' colony in Grez-sur-Loing and the plein air painting technique. Liljefors's early work focused on nature and animal motifs. Following his return from Europe, he shifted his focus to larger paintings of wild animals and nature motifs. He is widely regarded as a leading figure in the field of bird painting, serving as a source of inspiration and influence for many artists in the genre. Liljefors's artistic style draws from realism, impressionism, and the aesthetic of Japanese woodcuts. He was also active as a sculptor. Thielska boasts one of the most extensive Liljefors collections, with over fifty paintings.

Wife: Signe Liljefors (1871 - 1944)