"Winter Landscape with Bulfinches," Bruno Liljefors, 1891.

Liljefors (1860-1939) is regarded as one of the most influential and important wildlife painters of the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

Born in Uppsala, Sweden, he lived his entire life in Scandinavia with occasional trips to other parts of Europe. He supposedly had a real knack for getting along with animals and had a menagerie of creatures who surprisingly would cooperate with his desire for them to pose for his work.

A lifelong hunter, he often depicted predator/prey scenes, but is noted for never exaggerating the predator's aggression or prey's pathos; this unsentimental, documentary style won him fans.

He was meticulous in his depiction of animals in their environment. He also produced a number of sequential works, depicting a story progressing....which some feel made him a pioneer of comic art as well.

From a private collection.

#Art #BrunoLiljefors #WildlifeArt #Sweden #Realism #Bulfinches #Birdies

"Partridges in Snow," Józef Chełmoński, 1891.

Chełmoński (1849-1914) was a Polish painter known for his realistic landscapes and romanticized scenes of life in Poland.

Born when there really was no Poland as a country; it was partitioned among Austria, Russia, and Prussia after being defeated in war. He lived his entire life without seeing his country unified, but we know from his writings and his work that he was one of many who loved his country and sought to see it reunified and again a sovereign nation, which didn't happen until a few years after his death.

Chełmoński's daughter said he loved to watch partridges near his home in the region of Mazovia, and this reflects his observations. They're almost photographic in detail. This is regarded as one of his greatest works, for the sheer quality and simplicity.

Under the reunified Poland, Chełmoński's work is regarded as a national treasure. Over 100 of his paintings are missing; possibly looted by the Nazis and are yet to be recovered.

From the National Museum in Warsaw.

#Art #JózefChełmoński #Realism #Romanticism #Birdies #LootedByTheThirdReich #PolishNationalism