Essay by Jennifer Horrell, Former Instructor of Scandinavian

In 1894, Birger Sandzén (1871-1954) left his native Sweden to begin a teaching position at Bethany College in Lindsborg, Kansas. The plains quickly became an inspiration for his landscape paintings, scenes which would have been quite different than those he was familiar with in Sweden, especially in terms of light (Lindquist 18, 67). Although this part of the country is not well-known for majestic beauty, "[w]hat may have seemed commonplace to some viewers was exciting for Sandzén" (Lindquist 65), and the thrill of his new homeland only increased after seeing the Rocky Mountains for the first time. He wrote to his wife expressing his wish that he might "be able some day to evolve the means by which he could put on canvas the intense excitement he felt in their presence" (Lindquist 69). His very personal reaction to the contrast of the old world with the new would indeed lead him to develop a painting style that captured this excitement.

In Golden Aspen, we observe signature elements that have come to define a typical Sandzén landscape. The use of a brilliant gold in the trees highlights the subject of the painting, but what is perhaps most striking is the seemingly unnatural shades of purple and pink that appear in the sky, the rocky banks, and their reflection in the water. His use of vibrant color emphasizes his unique interpretation of the effect of light on this scene. Sandzén's wide brushstrokes and thick application of paint is another representative characteristic of his paintings, a technique that captures his perception of the lines and shapes of the rocks and trees. It is a style that is well-suited to the rugged, untamed country he reproduces in his paintings.

In contrast to many Swedish immigrants of the time, Sandzén was quite cosmopolitan; before coming to the United States, he studied with Anders Zorn in Stockholm and even had an opportunity to study for a short time in Paris. During his years in the United States, he also traveled to the East and West Coasts, Mexico, and back to Europe (Lindquist 39-42). His greatest inspiration, however, came from the Rocky Mountains and a relatively isolated life in Lindsborg, which "became more than a destination-it became his artistic destiny." (Kirn and Maurer 57). Sandzén portrayed his landscapes as "an ideal world, tinged sometimes with the pink glory of dawn, gilded sometimes with the burnished rose of dusk...[h]is idealism [was] directly related to the great adventure of his life, his coming to the New Land" (Kaplan 29). Sandzén's experience as a Swedish immigrant in America afforded him a unique lens through which he viewed his surroundings, and ultimately contributed to the development of a remarkable painting style.