Isak Johan Emerik Gustaf Stenberg (7 January 1873 – 31 July 1927)''Sveriges dödbok'' 1901–2009, DVD-ROM, Version 5.00, Sveriges Släktforskarförbund (2010): Stenberg, Isak Johan Emerik was a Swedish draftsman, painter and folklorist.

Biography

Stenberg was born in Stockholm in 1873. His father, Gustaf, was a Commissioner in the

Swedish National Audit Office The Swedish National Audit Office () is the agency responsible for oversight of the state finances through financial and performance audits of state agencies, state-owned companies and the Government of Sweden. It serves directly under the Riksd ...

. He studied art at the

Royal Swedish Academy of Fine Arts The Royal Swedish Academy of Fine Arts (), commonly called the Royal Academy, is located in Stockholm, Sweden. An independent organization that promotes the development of painting, sculpture, architecture, and other fine arts, it is one of seve ...

from 1891 to 1896 while also taking lessons at the

Konstnärsförbundets skola was a painting school in Stockholm, Sweden, which was offered by ('the Artists' Society') 1890–1908. The latter association was in turn established in opposition to the Royal Swedish Academy of Fine Arts. One of the school's co-founders was ...

('Artists' Association School'). What would become a major factor in his later career was a visit he made to

Dalarna Dalarna (; ), also referred to by the English exonyms Dalecarlia and the Dales, is a (historical province) in central Sweden. Dalarna adjoins Härjedalen, Hälsingland, Gästrikland, Västmanland and Värmland. It is also bordered by Nor ...

in 1894. He was captivated by the folk culture there and settled in the village of Ullvi, near

Leksand Leksand () is a Urban areas in Sweden, locality and the seat of Leksand Municipality in Dalarna County, Sweden, with 5,934 inhabitants in 2010. Leksand is situated on the southern branch of lake Siljan (lake), Siljan, where it flows into river Öst ...

, in 1897; decorating his farm with locally made furniture and craft objects. A painting he produced at that time (''Wake in Leksand'') was successfully shown at the

General Art and Industrial Exposition of Stockholm The General Art and Industrial Exposition of Stockholm of 1897 () also known as Stockholm Exhibition or Stockholm World's Fair (''Stockholmsutställningen'') was a World's Fair staged in 1897 in Stockholm, Sweden. Background On December 16, 1 ...

. This was followed by several lengthy study trips to France, Germany and the Low Countries from 1898 to 1901. He married Gully Elisabeth Hård in 1905. They had three sons and one daughter. Numerous showings followed, including those at the

Norrköping Exhibition of Art and Industry Norrköping Exhibition of Art and Industry () was an exhibition in Norrköping, Sweden in 1906. At the initiative of the local industrial association ''Norrköpings Fabriksförening och Handtverksförening'' it was decided an art and industrial e ...

(1906), the (1907), the

Baltic Exhibition The Baltic Exhibition () was held in Malmö, Sweden from 15 May to 4 October 1914. (The official closing date, September 30, was later extended by four days, as permitted in the general rules.) A Swedish world's fair The event showcased the indust ...

(1914) and an exhibition at the

Royal Academy of Arts The Royal Academy of Arts (RA) is an art institution based in Burlington House in Piccadilly London, England. Founded in 1768, it has a unique position as an independent, privately funded institution led by eminent artists and architects. Its ...

in London (1924). In 1906, he became a member of the Royal Swedish Academy. He was named a deputy professor in 1908 and a full professor the year after. Opposition to the Academy's traditional teaching methods eventually led him to resign. For many years following that, he was a successful portrait painter. In 1927, Stenberg died in Stockholm. He is buried at the

Norra begravningsplatsen Norra begravningsplatsen, literally "The Northern Burial Place" in Swedish, is a major cemetery of the Stockholm urban area, located in Solna Municipality. Inaugurated on 9 June 1827, it is the burial site for a number of Swedish notables. Th ...

there. In 1932, the Royal Swedish Academy held a major retrospective. His portraits may be seen at the Academy, the

Nordic Museum The Nordic Museum () is a museum located on Djurgården, an island in central Stockholm, Sweden, dedicated to the cultural history and ethnography of Sweden from the early modern period (in Swedish history, it is said to begin in 1520) to the ...

, the

National Archives of Sweden The National Archives of Sweden (, RA) is the official archive of the Swedish government and is responsible for the management of records from Sweden's public authorities. Although the archives functions primarily as the government archive, it al ...

, the

Gothenburg Museum of Art Gothenburg Museum of Art () is located at Götaplatsen in Gothenburg, Sweden. It claims to be the third-largest art museum in Sweden by the size of its collection. Collections The museum holds the world's finest collection of late 19th-cen ...

, the

Nationalmuseum Nationalmuseum is the List of national galleries, national gallery of fine arts of Sweden, located on the peninsula Blasieholmen in central Stockholm. The museum's operations stretch far beyond the borders of Blasieholmen, including the Natio ...

and several others.

Biography

References

Further reading