Nils von Dardel
Encyclopedia
Nils Elias Christoffer von Dardel (sign: Nils Dardel) (25 October 1888 – 25 May 1943), was a Swedish
post-impressionist
painter.
, Södermanland
, Sweden in 1888. After studying at the Royal Swedish Academy of Arts
in Stockholm
, he was one of a group of young artists (including Sigrid Hjertén
, Isaac Grünewald
, Einar Jolin, and Leander Engström) who went to Paris
in around 1910. It was the reputation of Henri Matisse
that drew most of them, but Matisse made relatively little impact on von Dardel; instead he was influenced by the Post-Impressionists, the pure colours of the Fauvists, and Japanese woodcuts. He also made some tentative attempts at Cubism
in a few cityscapes.
Von Dardel's interest in Post-Impressionist tendencies, especially Pointillism
, was expressed in strong, clear colours blended with a naïve style of storytelling. A typical example is Begravning i Senlis (Funeral in Senlis) from 1913, which he painted while staying in the small medieval town of Senlis
. Back in Paris he portrayed the German art dealer Alfred Flechtheim. The human figure is the dominant motif in von Dardel's works, noted e.g. in Den döende dandyn (The Dying Dandy) from 1918.
In 1913, von Dardel made friends with a fellow Swede, Rolf de Maré
, who would later create the Ballets Suédois
, which would perform in Paris in 1920–1925. Von Dardel was not particularly well off, but he was imaginative and talented, while de Maré was enthusiastic and had money. Together they were a very fruitful duo during the five eventful years of the dance company's existence. In 1920 von Dardel produced the stage sets for the première piece Midsummer Wake, with music by Hugo Alfvén
, and for the pioneering dance drama Maison de Fous, composed by Viking Dahl
. The paintings from this period often recall stage sets; they are like sketches for a drama, or stills from a film in which the viewer assumes the role of author and director. Crime passionnel (Crime of Passion) from 1921 is an example, vivid and even gory, while also echoing the artist's hectic life in 1920s Paris.
Von Dardel led a self-destructive, itinerant and hectic life. Many of his later paintings are portraits of people he met on his travels. Around the time of the outbreak of World War II
, the Liljevalchs konsthall
in Stockholm mounted a retrospective of his work; this was his final popular breakthrough in his native country. He died in New York
in 1943.
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
post-impressionist
Post-Impressionism
Post-Impressionism is the term coined by the British artist and art critic Roger Fry in 1910 to describe the development of French art since Manet. Fry used the term when he organized the 1910 exhibition Manet and Post-Impressionism...
painter.
Biography
Nils von Dardel was born in BettnaBettna
Bettna is a locality situated in Flen Municipality, Södermanland County, Sweden with 415 inhabitants in 2005. It is also a parish with the same name....
, Södermanland
Södermanland
', sometimes referred to under its Latin form Sudermannia or Sudermania, is a historical province or landskap on the south eastern coast of Sweden. It borders Östergötland, Närke, Västmanland and Uppland. It is also bounded by lake Mälaren and the Baltic sea.In Swedish, the province name is...
, Sweden in 1888. After studying at the Royal Swedish Academy of Arts
Royal Swedish Academy of Arts
The Royal Swedish Academy of Arts or Kungl. Akademien för de fria konsterna, founded in 1773 by King Gustav III, is one of the Royal Academies in Sweden...
in Stockholm
Stockholm
Stockholm is the capital and the largest city of Sweden and constitutes the most populated urban area in Scandinavia. Stockholm is the most populous city in Sweden, with a population of 851,155 in the municipality , 1.37 million in the urban area , and around 2.1 million in the metropolitan area...
, he was one of a group of young artists (including Sigrid Hjertén
Sigrid Hjertén
Sigrid Hjertén , was a Swedish modernist painter. Hjertén is considered a major figure in Swedish modernism. Periodically she was highly productive and she participated in 106 exhibitions...
, Isaac Grünewald
Isaac Grünewald
Isaac Grünewald was a Swedish-Jewish expressionist painter born in Stockholm. He was the leading and central name in the first generation of Swedish modernists from 1910 up until his death in 1946, in other words during almost his entire career spanning four decades...
, Einar Jolin, and Leander Engström) who went to Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
in around 1910. It was the reputation of Henri Matisse
Henri Matisse
Henri Matisse was a French artist, known for his use of colour and his fluid and original draughtsmanship. He was a draughtsman, printmaker, and sculptor, but is known primarily as a painter...
that drew most of them, but Matisse made relatively little impact on von Dardel; instead he was influenced by the Post-Impressionists, the pure colours of the Fauvists, and Japanese woodcuts. He also made some tentative attempts at Cubism
Cubism
Cubism was a 20th century avant-garde art movement, pioneered by Pablo Picasso and Georges Braque, that revolutionized European painting and sculpture, and inspired related movements in music, literature and architecture...
in a few cityscapes.
Von Dardel's interest in Post-Impressionist tendencies, especially Pointillism
Pointillism
Pointillism is a technique of painting in which small, distinct dots of pure color are applied in patterns to form an image. Georges Seurat developed the technique in 1886, branching from Impressionism. The term Pointillism was first coined by art critics in the late 1880s to ridicule the works...
, was expressed in strong, clear colours blended with a naïve style of storytelling. A typical example is Begravning i Senlis (Funeral in Senlis) from 1913, which he painted while staying in the small medieval town of Senlis
Senlis, Oise
Senlis is a French commune located in the Oise department near Paris. It has a long and rich heritage, having traversed centuries of history. This medieval town has welcomed some of the most renowned figures in French history, including Hugh Capet, Louis IX, the Marshall of France, Anne of Kiev and...
. Back in Paris he portrayed the German art dealer Alfred Flechtheim. The human figure is the dominant motif in von Dardel's works, noted e.g. in Den döende dandyn (The Dying Dandy) from 1918.
In 1913, von Dardel made friends with a fellow Swede, Rolf de Maré
Rolf de Maré
Rolf de Maré , sometimes called Rolf de Mare, was a Swedish art collector and leader of the Ballets Suédois in Paris in 1920–1925. In 1933 he founded the world's first museum for dance in Paris.-Biography :...
, who would later create the Ballets Suédois
Ballets Suédois
The Ballets suédois was a predominantly Swedish dance ensemble that, under the direction of Rolf de Maré , performed throughout Europe and the United States between 1920 and 1925, rightfully earning the reputation as a “synthesis of modern art” .The Ballets suédois created pieces that negotiated...
, which would perform in Paris in 1920–1925. Von Dardel was not particularly well off, but he was imaginative and talented, while de Maré was enthusiastic and had money. Together they were a very fruitful duo during the five eventful years of the dance company's existence. In 1920 von Dardel produced the stage sets for the première piece Midsummer Wake, with music by Hugo Alfvén
Hugo Alfvén
was a Swedish composer, conductor, violinist, and painter.- Violinist :Alfvén was born in Stockholm and studied at the Music Conservatory there from 1887 to 1891 with the violin as his main instrument, receiving lessons from Lars Zetterquist. He also took private composition lessons from Johan...
, and for the pioneering dance drama Maison de Fous, composed by Viking Dahl
Viking Dahl
Viking Dahl, , was a Swedish composer, active also as a painter and an author. He was brother to K. G. William Dahl....
. The paintings from this period often recall stage sets; they are like sketches for a drama, or stills from a film in which the viewer assumes the role of author and director. Crime passionnel (Crime of Passion) from 1921 is an example, vivid and even gory, while also echoing the artist's hectic life in 1920s Paris.
Von Dardel led a self-destructive, itinerant and hectic life. Many of his later paintings are portraits of people he met on his travels. Around the time of the outbreak of World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, the Liljevalchs konsthall
Liljevalchs konsthall
Liljevalchs konsthall is an art gallery located on the Djurgården island in Stockholm, Sweden. Designed by architect Carl Bergsten and inaugurated in March 1916, it is today owned by the City of Stockholm....
in Stockholm mounted a retrospective of his work; this was his final popular breakthrough in his native country. He died in New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
in 1943.