Dancing FairiesAugust Malmström

August Malmström

Artist · 1829 – 1901

Life

Born
1829
Died
1901
Active in
Stockholm, Düsseldorf, Paris

Biography

August Malmström was a 19th-century Swedish painter and illustrator. He became best known for his depictions of Norse mythology and folklore, as well as atmospheric nature motifs.

Life

Malmström began his artistic training at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts in Stockholm. He later continued his studies at the academies in Düsseldorf and Paris, where he encountered the movements of European history and genre painting. After returning to Sweden, he taught for many years as a professor at the Stockholm Academy of Fine Arts.

Work

Throughout his career, Malmström dedicated himself intensively to Old Norse sagas, historical themes, and folkloric motifs. He created large-format oil paintings as well as numerous book illustrations for Swedish literature. His works are characterized by a poetic treatment of light and a close intertwining of landscape and myth.

3 topics

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  • Fairy Tales & Folk Stories

    Stories that no one invented and everyone knows: passed down orally, collected and written down in the 19th century. Their imagery—the forest, the wolf, the hundred-year sleep—stands for what children and adults alike fear and hope for.

    In the museum · 2 works

  • Sagas & Legends

    Unlike the fairy tale, the saga is tied to a specific place: it is set at a particular mountain, castle, or city—and was believed to be true. Its narrative connects landscape with history, often explaining why a place is called what it is called.

    In the museum · 1 work

  • Late Romanticism

    Around the middle of the 19th century, Romanticism draws to a close—its motifs remain, but the tone becomes quieter and more narrative. Late Romanticism combines close observation of nature with inwardness and a love of popular storytelling. Ludwig Richter is considered one of its most important representatives.

    In the museum · 1 work
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