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430
IV. EDUCATION AND MENTAL CULTURE IN SWEDEN.
in movement, in the genre he chooses his
motives with preference from his native
place, Mora in Dalarne, but does not
by any means despise Spaniards or
gipsies, or French women either.
Midsummer-dance in Dalarne is one of his
best works of the kind. As a
por-trayer, he has painted King Oscar, his
own portrait, and many others — all
in the same suggestive manner that
in a suitable way causes colours and
strokes of the pencil to flow together
into an effect. He has just completed
the modeling of a statue of Gustavus
Vasa. B. Liljefors (born 1860) has
become worldfamed as a picturer of
animal life in the North. He first
studied Uppland scenery in the
neighbourhood of Uppsala, but has now
settled in the »Skärgård» to study sea
and water-fowl, swans, wildgeese, eiders,
etc. His largest picture is that of Swans
on the Wing, in a State College in
Stockholm (Norra Latinlftroverket). In
the same college Prince Eugen (born 1865) has painted his hitherto greatest
work: Skärgård landscape in the Twilight. He loves the scenery of poetical tone
that our country has to offer and has produced many pictures of the kind, bearing
the stamp of personal feeling, and with special attention he studies the atmospheric
phenomena in various lights, at different times of the day.
Finally, the art of etching has of låte successfully been carried on by several
artists, among whom here may be mentioned A. Hägg (born 1835), R.
Haglund (born 1844), and A. Tallberg (born 1860) — all of whom devote
themselves to that art exclusively; and among other artists, chiefly Zorn, C. Laruon,
and the architect F. Boberg (born 1860).
Music.
It is not, in fact, until in the 19th century that Sweden presents a really
vital and independent art of music. But as far back as our history reaches, nay,
even from the dim times of the Sagas, music and its practicians were much
thought of by high and low. Songs were performed at sacrifices and festivities,
the old Scald skilfully touched his harp in accompaniment to his song as well
as with the intention of animating his audience to dance. Originally, singing was
perhaps more of a recital and thus differed from the later national airs
(Folk-visor) — the principal treasure of melodies in the middle ages — which used to
be sung to the accompaniment of a pantomimic dance, as still is done in the
Færöe Islands, and which is also indicated by the very name »ballad».
With the Roman Catholic Church the magnificent musical service of the
same made its entrance with its singing priests and choristers. Vocal music
became one of the chief subjects in the convent schools, and even after the
Reformation it occupied a prominent place in the school time-table. The Vasa Kings
were highly musical. Gustavus Vasa was an ardent lutanist, Erik XIV was a
■composer, Sigismund brought over Polish musicians to Sweden, Gustavus Adolphm
Anders Zorn.
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