#EstherEllqvist
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Självporträtt (Self Portrait) by Esther Ellqvist (Swedish) - Oil on canvas / 1910 - National Museum (Stockholm, Sweden) #womeninart #oilpainting #womanartist #fineart #art #swedishart #womensart #EstherEllqvist #swedishartist #portrait #selfportrait #portraitofawoman #femaleartist #nationalmuseum
This self-portrait was signed at Björkudden on Lake Bunn, south of Gränna. This was close to her husband and fellow artist John Bauer’s native Jönköping, but the 30-year old Esther Ellqvist felt less at home, particularly in 1910–11 when the couple spent the winter here. The background to the self-portrait is a hopelessly grey, bare and damp late-winter landscape. The subject’s greyish-white clothes and hat match the surroundings. Her face, with its searching gaze, and her short blond hair are the main elements offering relief from the gloom. Ruth "Ester" Elisabet Ellqvist was a Swedish artist and model who studied at the Royal Swedish Academy of Arts. Sadly, she died just 8 years after this self portrait in 1918 with her husband and three-year-old son when the boat that they were sailing on sank, killing all 24 people on board. She met John Bauer at the Academy of Arts in 1900. During periods of separation, they sent each other letters exchanging their innermost desires and concerns. They married in December 1906. In the beginning, they were apparently tender and happy with each other. However, there were reportedly times when they were unhappy, partially because they had different aspirations. Ellqvist wanted to live near Stockholm and her husband enjoyed being near the forest. She posed as model for many of his works, like his famous “Fairy Princess” in which she appears to be an innocent, pure, and unattainable woman. In 1908, financed by Bauer's father, they traveled through southern Germany and Italy for one year to study art. Their son Bengt, who they called "Putte,” was born in 1915, but by 1917, their marriage was in trouble and their love for each other began to dwindle. Ellqvist had essentially given up her own artistic aspirations to focus on her role as a wife and mother. On November 20, 1918 they perished together when the SS Per Brahe sank while sailing to Stockholm on Lake Vättern.
February 12, 2025 at 8:36 AM