Ivar Arosenius
And yes, it was pretty good (Och si, det var allt ganska godt), 1903
Watercolour and gouache on paper
20.8 x 14.3 cm
8 1/4 x 5 5/8 in
8 1/4 x 5 5/8 in
Clase Fine Art
In this watercolour Arosenius depicts the Garden of Eden as an island where the tree of knowledge grows. Birds sit in the crown of the tree, which covers the entire...
In this watercolour Arosenius depicts the Garden of Eden as an island where the tree of knowledge grows. Birds sit in the crown of the tree, which covers the entire island. The domesticated animals wander around peacefully in pairs below. A farmer-like Adam walks behind a voluptuous but not idealised Eve. Stylised fish swim around the island.
Above the island, on a throne, is seated God the Father, smiling softly with a distinctly red nose. Behind him the sun appears like a halo, and he is surrounded by trombone-blowing cherubs.
The manner in which the title at the top has been written, and the distinctive red and blue hues, relate closely to colours often used regionally both in churches and domestic decorative paintings at the time. It is not impossible that Arosenius was also inspired by the painting 'Neptune and Amphitrite' by Frans Francken the Younger, which is in the Gothenburg Museum of Art. The fish in the sea and the butterfly-like wings of the cherubs are strongly reminiscent of Francken’s work.
Above the island, on a throne, is seated God the Father, smiling softly with a distinctly red nose. Behind him the sun appears like a halo, and he is surrounded by trombone-blowing cherubs.
The manner in which the title at the top has been written, and the distinctive red and blue hues, relate closely to colours often used regionally both in churches and domestic decorative paintings at the time. It is not impossible that Arosenius was also inspired by the painting 'Neptune and Amphitrite' by Frans Francken the Younger, which is in the Gothenburg Museum of Art. The fish in the sea and the butterfly-like wings of the cherubs are strongly reminiscent of Francken’s work.
Provenance
Eva Arosenius;
By inheritance to the previous owners until 2020Exhibitions
Gothenburg Museum of Art, Sweden, “Ivar Arosenius. Minnesutställning”, 1926, cat no 98;Gothenburg Museum of Art, Sweden, "Ivar Arosenius Minnesutställning", 1958-59, cat no 35;
Akvarellmuseet, Tjörn, Sweden, “Arosenius” 2005;
Gothenburg Museum of Art, “Ivar Arosenius”, 2009;
Prins Eugens Waldemarsudde, Stockholm, “Ivar Arosenius” 2010
Literature
Sandström, 1959, illustrated p. 96;Weibull et al., “Arosenius”, Nationalmuseum, Stockholm, 1978, illustrated p 62;
Fredlund, 2009, p 84-6, illustrated p 85