Evening star., 1926-06-03
THE NORTH WINDOW
By Leila Mechiin.


Sweden and brought to mind certain
bonds Of union between that nation
and our own.
In the field of art We have con
spicuOus example Of Swede VINO In
coming to this country and adopting
IL as his own, has brought valuable
gift which has enriched us national
lv Eirger Sa andZen of l-indsDors,
kans. Mr.. Sandzen came 10 the
United states in the Fall of 1884 ana
accepted n position in Bethany COi-
Iege, which position ne still hoids.
Besides the characterization or his
people courage, determination, love
of adventure he possessed at that
time more than common knowieoee
Of art, having studied under Zorn,
Berkh and Hasseibers in Stockholm,
and Aman-Jean In Paris. 1t was from
his fellow students in the latter city
that he heard Of our big new land'
and ii was the spirit VI adventure
moving within him that induced hlm
to cross the ses and take up his WORK
os our great plains. No one mas dohc
more than he to encourage ana pro
mote a love OF art In America For
80 years young people Of the Midoie
West have been passing through MS
CIH6B6D,
tact with him without enkindling en-
thusiasm and real love Of beauty In
nature and in art. From his classes
Young men and women have gone as
teachers to schools ana colleges
throughout our West and have handed
on to others that which he has given
TO them.
What 10 more. Birger Ssndzen has
iot erpret cd through his own art the
beauty and significance OF the coun-
try In which he has lived. AZ u writer
ia the Sea candinavian Review has salo'
After l. few years residence In Kan
sas the idea that here lay Il new neio
for expression began to Germinate in
his mind, and inst sad Of looking back
ward he began to look forward. 10
day he IL regarded as one OF the most
progressive, forward looking artists
OF America
TO u great extont. 1t should be re-
membered, Mr.. SandZon has worked
alone, being remote from the so-calied
art centers and too busiiy engaged
with his teaching to come East, but
he has not got out OF step with tno
times. or recent years no has exniplt-
ed quite u little In the Eastern art
centers. A collection Of his paintings
was shown here ut the Arts cub
works have been added to tho perms-
nent collection of the National Mu-
scum In Sweden. he has suited his
style to his subject. He INDUCES In
strong color. His Iandsca pes rendered
In we0dblock and his Iithogra phs are
powerful presentations Of our West
srn scenery. His work Is extremely
individuslistio. retaining those sturdy
qualities which set apart the art or
sweden; yet he In an American to
the core. 1t is his conviction that
from out Of this vast land or ours VIII
come an art which. il kept from com
mercialism and insfncertty, will renect
those larger and better traits OF a
great and noble nstion-an art which
will. without losing sight Of tradition,
development.
Sweden Is one Of the countries
which, up to the present time, have
retained and evidence strong nation
alistic tendencies in their art. This Is
partly due, presumably. to compare
tive isolation, to the distinctiveness.
up to the present time. Of Swedish
national life. IL is also due. however.
In part TO climatic conditions and sd-
herence 10 national traditions.
Yet, curiousiy enough. our first In
PRODUCTION to what IL called today
modefniStic art was through the
channel Of collection of Scandi-
navisn art brought to this country by
the Americsn.Scan ndinavian Society
some years before the Great War.
Even then the Swedish section was
the most sane, the least eccentric.
Such men of world renown as Zorn,
Liljefors and Fjaestad. through &C
cepted leadership, maintained bala nee
between tradition and innovation.
And what a. showing that was. None
who saw 1t can fail to recall It with
the utmost pleasure. In the Zorn ex-
hibition shown here last year memory
Of that great general Sea andinavian
exhibition was revived. but in the for
mer instance there was variety and
al the same time novelty. Up to the
time that this exhibition came to
America we were but poorly informed
concerning the works Of Zorn 8 cot en-
porarieS.
There Is probably no animal pa inter
living today. or who has ever lived in
the past. comparable. to the Swedish
painter, Liijefors. Never, unless we
except, perhaps. the renditiOns of the
great Chinese and Japanese artists.
has snow beAn interpreted more ex-
Quisitely than by Fiaestad. There is
a bigness about the works of the la nd
scape painters Of Sweden. chief among
whom is Prince Eugen. the uncle OF
the Crown Prince. which reflects the
bigness Of that far northern country.
In tho illustrative work of LARSON
there is a charm and simplicity rarely
excelled.
All Of these artists including ZOrn.
have given themselves, it should be re.
marked. chiefly to the interpretation
of Swedish life and Swedish scenes.
Zorn's best paintings are his pictures
of Swedish peasant festivities. his pOr-
traits OF Swedish peasa nts. Liljefors
has studied the animals i'm their ma tive
haunts, has lived and sketched much
out OF doors. and his pictures are true
to nature In every respect. tjaestad
likewise has interpreted Winter as IT
comes to Sweden--a great silence, a
supreme purity. Iarssons illustra tiOns
have been drawn entirely from the
life of the middle class, that homely,
simple life which .as yet is unspoiled
by the feverish touch Of modern living
1t 10 interesting to know
that these artists are held in highest
esteem by the people Of their own ma
tion and that, while they have at
tained international renown. they
have found patronage at home.
u
There are other instances than that
OF Birger Sc ndzen Of those Of Swedish
birth bringing to this country rare
gifts in this Same field. David Ed
strom. the sculptor, came to this coun-
try AS an immigrant, worked as a me-
chaflic and developed into a sculptor
Of world renown, whose works are in
cluded in the National Museum OF
Sweden and in many Of the leading
museums of Europe. His portraits
of the Crown Prince of Sweden and Of
Princess Patricia of Connaught are In
the Royal Palace at Stockholm He
10 well represented In the GothenburE