/The Canon: Perspectives on Swedish Art Historiography/
The former museum director Axel L. Romdahl did not question the canon in his essays on art. Rather, he made additions to an already established narrative, gave it more depth and nuances. It is mainly in relation to Nordic art that he highlights artists who are not yet part of the canon.
He champions outsiders such as Ivar Arosenius and Axel Petersson Döderhultarn, but also modernists such as Gösta Sandels and John Sten. In them, he finds an authentic drive for expression and an individuality that he sometimes finds lacking in a international modernist in the likes of Isaac Grünewald. With his imaginative, satirical and fairytale-influenced images, Arosenius had a breakthrough just before his untimely death from hemophilia.
/The Canon: Perspectives on Swedish Art Historiography/
Arosenius’ work shows a strong connection between life and art. The self-portrait is thus a recurring motif to be found throughout Arosenius’ œuvre. He covered everything from realistic representations to mythical dream scenes. In this particular example, the artist presents himself in a relaxed pose, cigar in hand, with searching gaze. We see a serious and mature artist. Onto the landscape behind the artist’s back he has projected his imagination as a paradise—a fairy-tale landscape with dancing naked women, lovers, and the river of life quietly running by. On a hill stands a classical building—a temple to Venus—against the starry sky. The scene was inspired by the area around Älvängen and the Göta River, where Arosenius had settled with his family.
Johan Sjöström from The Collection Gothenburg Museum of Art, Gothenburg 2014
