Voor sommigen is een vakantie pas compleet met een gezonde dosis kunst en cultuur. Hoewel de natuur rondom onze boerderij adembenemend is, raden we een uitstapje naar Mora en het wereldberoemde Zorn Museum absoluut aan. Ontdek het indrukwekkende werk van Anders Zorn, de man die de ziel van Dalarna als geen ander wist vast te leggen. Van weelderige internationale portretten tot de intieme sfeer in zijn eigen woonhuis Zorngården: dit is het perfecte culturele dagje uit vanuit Furudal. En vergeet niet af te sluiten met de lekkerste cheesecake van de regio bij het Zorncafé! Ontdek onze unieke verblijven in de buurt van Mora →
For some people there’s no holiday without some art. My cousin is such a person. So we went to the Zornmuseum in Mora. A nice little museum with beautiful paintings by Anders Zorn (1860-1920).
Zorn is one of Sweden’s most famous artist, from Mora. No one has painted water, created portraits with the same bravoure and reproduced women as sensual as Zorn. You can see some reproductions of his work in the Hölada and Fähus.
Unique and really different are his paintings of the daily lives of local inhabitants from Mora and surroundings. You can see his appreciation and admiration for this part of Sweden. Interesting to see the local costumes, wooden cottages and of course lots of forest.
The museum itself is quite small, so you can walk through it quickly, but it shows enough to be satisfied. It has always a permanent exhibition with Zorn’s watercolors, oil paintings, sculptures and etchings. He and his wife Emma lived abroad for most of the time, which you see in his early paintings of Italy, Turkey (Istanbul), Spain etc.
One section of the museum also shows some of the many portraits he made. It was primarily his skill as a portrait painter that gained Zorn international acclaim, which was principally based upon his incisive ability to depict the individual character of his model. In the museum you can also see some of the photos he made as inspiration for his work.
Next to the museum you’ll find Zorngården, his and Emma’s house. You can only enter it by taking a guided tour. While my cousin was here we took one. Before entering the house you should know that they were rich. The house is an eclectic mix of Swedish and English style, filled with Gustavian, Empire and country-style furniture. What is so special about the couple is that they wanted to share so much with their work-staff, guests and the locals: the house is completely furnished to make it comfortable for everyone.That’s among other things why it’s filled with modernities (of that time) like a great American fridge, one of Sweden’s first stainless steel sinks, running-water a water heater and a telephone.
In the eastern wing you find a huge and high ceiled room, used as a living room. It was inspired by similar halls from Viking times. Really nice are the many woven tapestries. It certainly worthwhile to take a tour, although you have to take into account that the tour is sometimes just in Swedish. We got a print with English explanation.
And after a tour? Take s break at the Zorncafe, you already know: one of our favorites! We had a more than delicious tropical cheesecake. The only bad thing in the cafe: there are too many tasty dishes, cookies and cakes to choose from!
After this visit my cousin really wondered why we never hear of Anders Zorn (at least outside Sweden). He even painted portrets of three American Presidents: Grover Cleveland, William H. Taft and Theodore Roosevelt.
If you are interested in visiting another house of a famous painter we recommend Carl and Karin Larssons house in Sunborn. You can read about it in our blog of June 30. Interior-design and shopping: such a fine combination!