Emma Zorn och hunden Mouche by Anders Zorn

Tweet

Anders Zorn was a well-known personality in late 19^th and early 20^th century. He was an adroit painter portraying the wide-range of portraits, landscapes and genre-paintings. Here is represented a portrait of his wife Emma Zorn with a little dog named Mouche.

It was a regular story of love-at-first-site in the city of Stockholm, Sweden. Emma happened to be baby-sitting Anders’ nephew while he was portraying him. That’s the point when they first met each-other and fell for.

After four years’ secret relationship, they succeed to convince Emma’s parents in 1885 and married.  Emma didn’t have the knowledge of cookery but her skill of organization helped Anders with his clients, exhibitors, museums and publishers.

They settled in Mora, Sweden where the house of their dream was built and called Zorngarden. They both lived there for the rest of the life.

Though, the house in the painting is not the Zorngarden as it was not finished until 1910 whereas the painting was finished in 1902. Her wrinkly eyes and a book (possibly journal) in her right hand make us think that now she is tired after the years of assistance and labor for her famous husband. As there is no mention about their children anywhere that could be the reason they kept a dog.

A little red flower in the backdrop symbolizes their long love-life. Though, by looking at Anders Zorn’s rigid appearance one cannot imagine the reach aspect of tenderness he portrayed in his paintings.