Axel Törneman

Biography

Axel Törneman studied at the Valand school of art under Carl Wilhelmson in 1900, and the following year he traveled to Munich. His time there was brief, and the next significant step came in Paris. It was in the Salon d'Automne of 1905 and 1906 that he achieved his breakthrough. In Sweden, he is best remembered for his dazzlingly colourful Night Café, which belongs to the collections of The Thiel Gallery. Törneman’s artistic style has been influenced by both Henri Toulouse-Lautrec and the neo-Romantics, exemplified by Ignacio Zuolaga and Hermen Anglada-Camarasa. Törneman is regarded as one of Sweden's pioneering modernist artists. He is known for his ability to adapt to different styles and for his use of bright colors and dramatic compositions. Törneman was frequently commissioned for monumental works and painted frescoes throughout the 1910s. His artistry is elusive and contradictory. He stood outside group formations of his time, making him unique. The Törneman collection at The Thiel Gallery is one of Sweden's largest.