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Hugo Birger (until 1878 Hugo Birger Peterson) (12 January 1854 – 17 June 1887) was a Swedish painter.


Biography


Youth

Born in
Stockholm Stockholm (; ) is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in Sweden by population, most populous city of Sweden, as well as the List of urban areas in the Nordic countries, largest urban area in the Nordic countries. Approximately ...
, his father was
printmaker Printmaking is the process of creating artworks by printing, normally on paper, but also on fabric, wood, metal, and other surfaces. "Traditional printmaking" normally covers only the process of creating prints using a hand processed technique ...
Sven August Peterson who, among other things, printed securities. By accompanying his father around Stockholm's pubs, Birger became familiar with many artistic personalities already at the age of 10. This and the association with his father at his lithographic workshop gave Birger both a literary and artistic interest. As a 13-year-old, Birger began his education 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 ...
' preparatory school, which was the preparatory education for the academy. Birger spent three years drawing on "Principen". In 1870, he was then accepted as a student 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 ...
, where he stayed for 6.5 years. Birger was weak early on from
rheumatism Rheumatism or rheumatic disorders are conditions causing chronic, often intermittent pain affecting the joints or connective tissue. Rheumatism does not designate any specific disorder, but covers at least 200 different conditions, including a ...
, so he needed more time for his studies. Among his peers at the academy were
Carl Larsson Carl Olof Larsson (; 28 May 1853 – 22 January 1919) was a Swedish painter representative of the Arts and Crafts movement. His many paintings include oils, watercolors, and frescoes. He is principally known for his watercolors of idyllic fami ...
,
Per Ekström Per Ekström, also Pehr or Peter (23 February 1844 – 21 January 1935) was a Swedish landscape painter, known for his atmospheric scenes with sunsets, in barren or deserted places. Biography Ekström was born in the small village Segerstad in t ...
and
Ernst Josephson Ernst Abraham Josephson (1851–1906) was a Swedish painter and poet. He specialized in portraits, Genre art, genre scenes of folklife and folklore. Background He was born to a middle-class family of merchants of Jewish ancestry. His uncle Lud ...
. It was here 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 ...
, led by Professor
Georg von Rosen Johan Georg Otto von Rosen (13 February 1843 – 3 March 1923) was a Swedish painter and ''greve'' (count). He specialized in history paintings and portraits, done in the Academic style. Biography He was born in Paris. When he was barely five ...
, that Birger and his schoolmates laid the foundation for their talents and commitment to art. In the last year he received a gold medal for his painting "''Syndafallet''". It was praised for its strong colors and shininess.


To Paris

Birger moved to Paris in 1877, and spent the summer of 1878 in
Barbizon Barbizon () is a commune (town) in the Seine-et-Marne department in north-central France. It is located near the Fontainebleau Forest. Demographics The inhabitants are called ''Barbizonais''. Art history The Barbizon school of painters is n ...
with
Carl Larsson Carl Olof Larsson (; 28 May 1853 – 22 January 1919) was a Swedish painter representative of the Arts and Crafts movement. His many paintings include oils, watercolors, and frescoes. He is principally known for his watercolors of idyllic fami ...
and
Carl Skånberg Carl Emmerik Skånberg (12 June 1850 - 24 January 1883) was a Swedish painter. Despite a serious illness that caused him a great deal of suffering, he was a prolific painter and one of the first artists in Sweden to be influenced by Impressionism ...
. It was here that he began to call himself Hugo Birger. When the painter
Ernst Josephson Ernst Abraham Josephson (1851–1906) was a Swedish painter and poet. He specialized in portraits, Genre art, genre scenes of folklife and folklore. Background He was born to a middle-class family of merchants of Jewish ancestry. His uncle Lud ...
moved from
Rome Rome (Italian language, Italian and , ) is the capital city and most populated (municipality) of Italy. It is also the administrative centre of the Lazio Regions of Italy, region and of the Metropolitan City of Rome. A special named with 2, ...
to
Paris Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, largest city of France. With an estimated population of 2,048,472 residents in January 2025 in an area of more than , Paris is the List of ci ...
, Birger became a resident with him on Rue Gabrielle(
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 ...
) in
Montmartre Montmartre ( , , ) is a large hill in Paris's northern 18th arrondissement of Paris, 18th arrondissement. It is high and gives its name to the surrounding district, part of the Rive Droite, Right Bank. Montmartre is primarily known for its a ...
where Josephson had taken over August Hagborg's studio house. There, Birger painted small pictures of the quiet street, the small corner of the garden or interior from the studio, preferably with elegant young ladies. He debuted at the
Paris Salon The Salon (), or rarely Paris Salon (French: ''Salon de Paris'' ), beginning in 1667 was the official art exhibition of the in Paris. Between 1748 and 1890 it was arguably the greatest annual or biennial art event in the Western world. At the ...
the following year with ''Rue Gabrielle'' (1879, now in 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 ...
). He submitted his painting ''Toaletten'' (English: ''The Toilet''), in which a lady is being redecorated by her hairdresser surrounded by her friends in front of the toilet mirror, to the Paris Salon in 1880. From 1881 to 1882, Birger visited Spain and
Northern Africa North Africa (sometimes Northern Africa) is a region encompassing the northern portion of the African continent. There is no singularly accepted scope for the region. However, it is sometimes defined as stretching from the Atlantic shores of t ...
. His largest painting from Spain was ''La feria'' ("The Feast Day", 1882, Gothenburg Museum of Art), which depicts a breakfast in
Granada Granada ( ; ) is the capital city of the province of Granada, in the autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community of Andalusia, Spain. Granada is located at the foot of the Sierra Nevada (Spain), Sierra Nevada mountains, at the confluence ...
. Hugo Birger's biggest supporter was
Pontus Fürstenberg Pontus Fürstenberg (4 October 1827 – 10 April 1902) was a Swedish art collector and merchant from a Jewish family. He was married to Göthilda Magnus. Background Pontus Fürstenberg was born at Östra Hamngatan 26, in Gothenburg, Sweden. ...
, who was a wholesaler in
Gothenburg Gothenburg ( ; ) is the List of urban areas in Sweden by population, second-largest city in Sweden, after the capital Stockholm, and the fifth-largest in the Nordic countries. Situated by the Kattegat on the west coast of Sweden, it is the gub ...
.
Fürstenberg Fürstenberg (also Fuerstenberg and Furstenberg) may refer to: Historical states * Fürstenberg-Baar, county (1441–1559) * Fürstenberg-Blumberg, county (1559–1614) * Fürstenberg-Donaueschingen, county (1617–1698) * Fürstenberg-Fürst ...
gave Birger a monthly fee that would be enough for rent, food and paints. Much of what Birger painted is preserved in Gothenburg's Museum of Art thanks to Fürstenberg.


To Spain

Because Birger suffered from severe
rheumatism Rheumatism or rheumatic disorders are conditions causing chronic, often intermittent pain affecting the joints or connective tissue. Rheumatism does not designate any specific disorder, but covers at least 200 different conditions, including a ...
, he found it increasingly difficult to cope with the winters in Paris. Josephson even had to help Birger tape the brushes to his wrists in order to continue working. Birger therefore asked
Fürstenberg Fürstenberg (also Fuerstenberg and Furstenberg) may refer to: Historical states * Fürstenberg-Baar, county (1441–1559) * Fürstenberg-Blumberg, county (1559–1614) * Fürstenberg-Donaueschingen, county (1617–1698) * Fürstenberg-Fürst ...
for extra contributions to come down to warmer climates. In Paris, Birger had been inspired by the Spanish masters such as
Diego Velasquez Diego is a Spanish masculine given name. The Portuguese equivalent is Diogo. The etymology of Diego is disputed, with two major origin hypotheses: ''Tiago'' and ''Didacus''. The name also has several patronymic derivations, listed below. ...
,
Jusepe de Ribera Jusepe de Ribera (; baptised 17 February 1591 – 3 November 1652) was a Spanish painter and Printmaking, printmaker. Ribera, Francisco de Zurbarán, Bartolomé Esteban Murillo, and the singular Diego Velázquez, are regarded as the major artist ...
, Francico de Zurbaran and
Francisco Goya Francisco José de Goya y Lucientes (; ; 30 March 1746 – 16 April 1828) was a Spanish Romanticism, romantic painter and Printmaking, printmaker. He is considered the most important Spanish artist of the late 18th and early 19th centuries. Hi ...
, and the trip therefore took off to
Granada Granada ( ; ) is the capital city of the province of Granada, in the autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community of Andalusia, Spain. Granada is located at the foot of the Sierra Nevada (Spain), Sierra Nevada mountains, at the confluence ...
together with his friend
Christian Skredsvig Christian Skredsvig (12 March 1854 – 19 January 1924) was a Norwegian painter and writer. He employed an artistic style reflecting naturalism. He is especially well known for his picturesque and lyrical depictions of the landscape. Biography ...
. It was difficult to find a hotel there so they looked up to the Alhambra Hill and found a tourist hotel. The owner of the hotel had two adult daughters, one of whom was named Matilda, who became Hugo Birger's great love. They became engaged in
Gibraltar Gibraltar ( , ) is a British Overseas Territories, British Overseas Territory and British overseas cities, city located at the southern tip of the Iberian Peninsula, on the Bay of Gibraltar, near the exit of the Mediterranean Sea into the A ...
, and in the spring of 1883 they were married in Paris . Just before the wedding, Birger completes "La Feria" - Breakfast in Granada - which depicts a breakfast on the veranda outside the small hotel with the whole host family gathered to enjoy the guitar and
flamenco dance Flamenco () is an art form based on the various folkloric music traditions of southern Spain, developed within the Gitanos, gitano subculture of the region of Andalusia, and also having historical presence in Extremadura and Region of Murcia, ...
. The painting was purchased by Pontus Fürstenberg for 10,000
Swedish riksdaler The Svenska riksdaler () was the name of a Swedish coin first minted in 1604. Between 1777 and 1873, it was the currency of Sweden. The daler, like the dollar,''National Geographic''. June 2002. p. 1. ''Ask Us''. was named after the German Thal ...
- which can be seen at Gothenburg's art museum today. Birger was then no longer satisfied by Parisian art. He had longed for
Italy Italy, officially the Italian Republic, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe, Western Europe. It consists of Italian Peninsula, a peninsula that extends into the Mediterranean Sea, with the Alps on its northern land b ...
for a long time but had not dared to go there without the academy's support. He had applied for the state scholarship repeatedly since 1877 and applied for it again, again in vain. Until the end of 1884, Birger and his family stayed partly in
Tangier Tangier ( ; , , ) is a city in northwestern Morocco, on the coasts of the Mediterranean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean. The city is the capital city, capital of the Tanger-Tetouan-Al Hoceima region, as well as the Tangier-Assilah Prefecture of Moroc ...
, partly in
the Alhambra The Alhambra (, ; ) is a palace and fortress complex located in Granada, Spain. It is one of the most famous monuments of Islamic architecture and one of the best-preserved palaces of the historic Islamic world. Additionally, the palace contain ...
, until an earthquake forced them to flee to Paris. In the summer of 1885, he saw his homeland again, painted west coast motifs, rock formations, green meadows, red cottages and the summer villas of Gothenburg magnates. In 1885, Birger became one of the most ardent among the
Opponenterna ('the Opponents') was a group of 84 Swedish artists who, under the leadership of Ernst Josephson, organized the Opponent Movement () in the 1880s. On 27 March 1885, the members submitted their written demands to the Royal Swedish Academy of Fine ...
, a group of artists who demanded reform of 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 ...
.
Ernst Josephson Ernst Abraham Josephson (1851–1906) was a Swedish painter and poet. He specialized in portraits, Genre art, genre scenes of folklife and folklore. Background He was born to a middle-class family of merchants of Jewish ancestry. His uncle Lud ...
and
Carl Larsson Carl Olof Larsson (; 28 May 1853 – 22 January 1919) was a Swedish painter representative of the Arts and Crafts movement. His many paintings include oils, watercolors, and frescoes. He is principally known for his watercolors of idyllic fami ...
led the work against the academy. At the "
Opponenterna ('the Opponents') was a group of 84 Swedish artists who, under the leadership of Ernst Josephson, organized the Opponent Movement () in the 1880s. On 27 March 1885, the members submitted their written demands to the Royal Swedish Academy of Fine ...
's exhibition" in Blanch's art salon in Stockholm on September 15, 1885, Birger contributed several paintings. In 1886, the Artists' Union was formed as a counter-movement to the strict Academy of Arts.


the Big Painting

Despite this enthusiasm in Birger's life, he grew weaker and weaker. At times, Birger had severe ailments from his
rheumatism Rheumatism or rheumatic disorders are conditions causing chronic, often intermittent pain affecting the joints or connective tissue. Rheumatism does not designate any specific disorder, but covers at least 200 different conditions, including a ...
. He wanted to fight on and took on the challenge that came to mean the most to him as an artist "Scandinavian artists' breakfast in Café Ledoyen". The work took just over 4 months to complete. The painting shows the Nordic artists' celebratory breakfast on the day of the opening (Vernissage), the day when the Salon opens and when the compatriots used to gather in Ledoyen's restaurant on the
Champs Elysées Champs may refer to: Music * The Champs, a U.S. instrumental music group * Champs (Brazilian band), a Brazilian boy band * Champs (British band), a British folk- and indie rock-influenced band * The Fucking Champs, a U.S. progressive heavy meta ...
. Birger had high hopes of finally receiving a prize with this painting. The painting was hung above a door in the salon and the jury's prize instead went to Richard Bergh's "Portrait of my wife". "Breakfast" then came to the Artists' Union's first exhibition in Stockholm in 1886, and at its opening Birger himself was also present. It was his last visit to
Stockholm Stockholm (; ) is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in Sweden by population, most populous city of Sweden, as well as the List of urban areas in the Nordic countries, largest urban area in the Nordic countries. Approximately ...
. Birger's paintings were fairly well and fairly valued by the Swedish critics. Handelstidningen's critic admitted that "Breakfast at Ledoyen" was one of the "mature and most beautiful works the artist produced". During the following winter in Paris, he was unable to work due to illness. In December 1886, Birger's doctor and friend
Axel Munthe Axel Martin Fredrik Munthe (31 October 1857 – 11 February 1949) was a Swedish-born physician and psychiatrist, best known as the author of '' The Story of San Michele'', an autobiographical account of his life and work. He spoke several langua ...
did an examination of Birger where the earlier fears came true. In addition to
rheumatism Rheumatism or rheumatic disorders are conditions causing chronic, often intermittent pain affecting the joints or connective tissue. Rheumatism does not designate any specific disorder, but covers at least 200 different conditions, including a ...
, he had
pulmonary tuberculosis Tuberculosis (TB), also known colloquially as the "white death", or historically as consumption, is a contagious disease usually caused by ''Mycobacterium tuberculosis'' (MTB) bacteria. Tuberculosis generally affects the lungs, but it can al ...
that had been lurking for a long time, which turned into so-called galloping pneumonia . When the summer was in, Munthe brought him to Sweden by steamboat from
Lübeck Lübeck (; or ; Latin: ), officially the Hanseatic League, Hanseatic City of Lübeck (), is a city in Northern Germany. With around 220,000 inhabitants, it is the second-largest city on the German Baltic Sea, Baltic coast and the second-larg ...
. Three days after arriving in
Helsingborg Helsingborg (, , ), is a Urban areas in Sweden, city and the seat of Helsingborg Municipality, Scania County, Scania (Skåne), Sweden. It is the second-largest city in Scania (after Malmö) and List of urban areas in Sweden by population, ninth ...
, Hugo Birger died at Hotel Mollberg on June 17, 1887. He was then 33 years old and his artistic activity had only spanned a decade. Hugo Birger is buried in the New cemetery in
Helsingborg Helsingborg (, , ), is a Urban areas in Sweden, city and the seat of Helsingborg Municipality, Scania County, Scania (Skåne), Sweden. It is the second-largest city in Scania (after Malmö) and List of urban areas in Sweden by population, ninth ...
, near the chapel. The tombstone was previously decorated with a relief made by the good friend
Carl Larsson Carl Olof Larsson (; 28 May 1853 – 22 January 1919) was a Swedish painter representative of the Arts and Crafts movement. His many paintings include oils, watercolors, and frescoes. He is principally known for his watercolors of idyllic fami ...
. Due to an increased number of thefts in the area, the original relief was removed in 2008 and is now replaced by a copy.


Gallery

File:Hugo Birger - Vid bryggan, Lysekil.jpg, '' Vid bryggan, Lysekil'' (1885) File:Hugo Birger-Damer och kavaljer vid stranden .jpg, ''Damer och kavaljer vid stranden'' (1883) File:Sitting under the Arbour (Hugo Birger) - Nationalmuseum - 19029.tif, ''I bersån'' (1880) File:Hugo Birger-Utanför hamnfogdekontoret.jpg, ''Utanför hamnfogdekontoret'' (1875) File:Hugo Birger-Nordafrikanska jägare rastar.jpg, ''Nordafrikanska jägare rastar'' File:Hugo Birger-Utanför en restaurang i Bois de Boulogne.jpg, ''Utanför en restaurang i Bois de Boulogne''


References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Birger, Hugo 19th-century Swedish painters Swedish male painters Painters from Stockholm 1854 births 1887 deaths 19th-century Swedish male artists