Hugo Birger
Encyclopedia
Hugo Birger (12 January 1854 – 17 June 1887) was a Swedish painter.
Born in Stockholm
, his father was printmaker S. A. Peterson. Birger studied at the Royal Swedish Academy of Arts
from 1870 to 1877. In 1877, he was awarded with the "Royal medal" for his painting Syndafallet. It was praised for its strong colors and shininess.
Birger moved to Paris in 1877, and spent the summer of 1878 in Barbizon
with Carl Larsson
and Carl Skånberg. He debuted at the Paris Salon
the following year with Rue Gabrielle (1879, now in the Gothenburg Museum of Art
). He submitted his painting Toaletten (English: The Toilet), which depicts a lady in front of the toilet mirror, to the Paris Salon in 1880. From 1881 to 1882, Birger visited Spain and Northern Africa. His largest painting from Spain was La feria ("The Feast Day", 1882, Gothenburg Museum of Art), which depicts a breakfast in Granada
.
After 1882, Birger spent time in Paris, in Gothenburg, and at the Swedish west coast, where he studied the cliffs and the fjord
s. In Paris at the end of 1886, Birger made his largest painting ever, Frukosten hos Ledoyen. It depicts several famous Nordic painters having breakfast together on the day of the Paris Salon's opening. It was a common tradition for the painters to gather on that day and have breakfast at the Ledoyen restaurant to celebrate the opening of the Paris Salon. Birger made sketches of the breakfast while it took place, and later had all the painters sit model for him in his atelier. He submitted Frukosten hos Ledoyen to the Paris Salon in 1886, hoping that it would win first prize. It did not, however, and Richard Bergh
was awarded with first prize.
Birger suffered from health issues in 1887, and died on his way home from France in Hälsingborg on 17 June 1887. The largest collection of Birger's paintings is in the Gothenburg Museum of Art, but some can also be seen at the National Museum of Arts in Stockholm. During his career, Birger made portraits of famous painters such as Alfred Wahlberg
, Albert Edenfeldt, Per Hasselberg
, Robert Thegerström
, Carl Larsson
, Georg Pauli
, and Ernst Josephson
.
Birger was married to Mathilda Gadea, whom he met in Granada
in Spain.
Born in Stockholm
Stockholm
Stockholm is the capital and the largest city of Sweden and constitutes the most populated urban area in Scandinavia. Stockholm is the most populous city in Sweden, with a population of 851,155 in the municipality , 1.37 million in the urban area , and around 2.1 million in the metropolitan area...
, his father was printmaker S. A. Peterson. Birger studied at the Royal Swedish Academy of Arts
Royal Swedish Academy of Arts
The Royal Swedish Academy of Arts or Kungl. Akademien för de fria konsterna, founded in 1773 by King Gustav III, is one of the Royal Academies in Sweden...
from 1870 to 1877. In 1877, he was awarded with the "Royal medal" for his painting Syndafallet. It was praised for its strong colors and shininess.
Birger moved to Paris in 1877, and spent the summer of 1878 in Barbizon
Barbizon
Barbizon is a commune in the Seine-et-Marne department in north-central France. It is located near the Fontainebleau Forest.-Art history:The Barbizon school of painters is named after the village; Théodore Rousseau and Jean-François Millet, leaders of the school, made their homes and died in the...
with Carl Larsson
Carl Larsson
Carl Larsson was a Swedish painter and interior designer, representative of the Arts and Crafts Movement. His many paintings include oils, watercolors, and frescoes...
and Carl Skånberg. He debuted at the Paris Salon
Paris Salon
The Salon , or rarely Paris Salon , beginning in 1725 was the official art exhibition of the Académie des Beaux-Arts in Paris, France. Between 1748–1890 it was the greatest annual or biannual art event in the Western world...
the following year with Rue Gabrielle (1879, now in the Gothenburg Museum of Art
Gothenburg Museum of Art
The Göteborg Museum of Art at Götaplatsen, Gothenburg, is renowned for its collection of Nordic art from around the close of the 19th century. A must see is the lavishly decorated Fürstenberg Gallery, named after a leading Gothenburg art donor, Pontus Fürstenberg and his wife Göthilda. Among the...
). He submitted his painting Toaletten (English: The Toilet), which depicts a lady in front of the toilet mirror, to the Paris Salon in 1880. From 1881 to 1882, Birger visited Spain and Northern Africa. His largest painting from Spain was La feria ("The Feast Day", 1882, Gothenburg Museum of Art), which depicts a breakfast in Granada
Granada
Granada is a city and the capital of the province of Granada, in the autonomous community of Andalusia, Spain. Granada is located at the foot of the Sierra Nevada mountains, at the confluence of three rivers, the Beiro, the Darro and the Genil. It sits at an elevation of 738 metres above sea...
.
After 1882, Birger spent time in Paris, in Gothenburg, and at the Swedish west coast, where he studied the cliffs and the fjord
Fjord
Geologically, a fjord is a long, narrow inlet with steep sides or cliffs, created in a valley carved by glacial activity.-Formation:A fjord is formed when a glacier cuts a U-shaped valley by abrasion of the surrounding bedrock. Glacial melting is accompanied by rebound of Earth's crust as the ice...
s. In Paris at the end of 1886, Birger made his largest painting ever, Frukosten hos Ledoyen. It depicts several famous Nordic painters having breakfast together on the day of the Paris Salon's opening. It was a common tradition for the painters to gather on that day and have breakfast at the Ledoyen restaurant to celebrate the opening of the Paris Salon. Birger made sketches of the breakfast while it took place, and later had all the painters sit model for him in his atelier. He submitted Frukosten hos Ledoyen to the Paris Salon in 1886, hoping that it would win first prize. It did not, however, and Richard Bergh
Richard Bergh
Sven Richard Bergh was a well-known Swedish painter from Stockholm, Sweden. His paintings often depicted Swedish landscapes and portraits...
was awarded with first prize.
Birger suffered from health issues in 1887, and died on his way home from France in Hälsingborg on 17 June 1887. The largest collection of Birger's paintings is in the Gothenburg Museum of Art, but some can also be seen at the National Museum of Arts in Stockholm. During his career, Birger made portraits of famous painters such as Alfred Wahlberg
Alfred Wahlberg
Herman Alfred Leonard Wahlberg was a Swedish landscape painter from Stockholm. After receiving preparatory education at the Royal Swedish Academy of Arts, Wahlberg moved to Düsseldorf in 1857 to train...
, Albert Edenfeldt, Per Hasselberg
Per Hasselberg
Per Hasselberg was a Swedish sculptor. He was also known as Petter Hasselberg or Petter Åkesson. Little known outside Sweden, his delicate marble nudes have received critical acclaim. Hasselberg grew up in Blekinge, but moved to Paris as a young man, where he studied under François Jouffroy...
, Robert Thegerström
Robert Thegerström
Robert Thegerström was a Swedish painter. He studied at the Royal Swedish Academy of Arts in Stockholm and then moved to France where he painted portraits and landscapes under the influence of salon painting and impressionism. After returning to Sweden in 1892 he went over to National romantic...
, Carl Larsson
Carl Larsson
Carl Larsson was a Swedish painter and interior designer, representative of the Arts and Crafts Movement. His many paintings include oils, watercolors, and frescoes...
, Georg Pauli
Georg Pauli
Georg Vilhelm Pauli was a Swedish painter.Pauli was born in Jönköping. He studied at the Royal Academy of Arts in Stockholm in 1871-75 and 1878-79, and studied and worked in France and Italy for several years during the 1870s and 1880s. He studied naturalist in- and outdoor painting, influenced...
, and Ernst Josephson
Ernst Josephson
Ernst Josephson was a Swedish painter from a prominent Jewish family, whose main work was done on portraits and paintings of folk life....
.
Birger was married to Mathilda Gadea, whom he met in Granada
Granada
Granada is a city and the capital of the province of Granada, in the autonomous community of Andalusia, Spain. Granada is located at the foot of the Sierra Nevada mountains, at the confluence of three rivers, the Beiro, the Darro and the Genil. It sits at an elevation of 738 metres above sea...
in Spain.