Abby Holtan: Carl Larsson, 'Day is Done, Good Night!' (1908)
Day is Done, Good Night! (1908)
Carl Larsson; studied by Abby Holtan
Watercolor and gouache on paper laid down on canvas, 20 1/5 x 27 5/8 inches
Abby Holtan is a senior from Minneapolis, Minn., majoring in art history and Scandinavian studies and minoring in history.
Statement
Wanting to incorporate both of my majors into my Senior Inquiry, my project investigates the influence of the Arts and Craft and Art Nouveau movements on Swedish Modern Design. This influence is primarily seen through Carl and Karin Larsson’s work in their home, Lilla Hyttnäs, and the reminiscence of their style that can be seen in modern day pieces produced by IKEA.
Prior to Larsson's interior design influence, Sweden’s home aesthetics emphasized heavy, dark, and overabundant material that was very German inspired. With influence from the Larsson's home, modern design treated the house as a space for the whole family, using the Swedish lifestyle as a model for the Swedish home. Using light wood and open spaces as a call to the necessity to have light in a dark Scandinavian winter, traditional colors, and simplicity of design made Swedish homes them built to last. These influences helped to define the Swedish cultural identity and homes that we see today.