Oscar Björck

Who was Oscar Björck?

Oscar Gustaf Björck was a Swedish painter and a professor at the Royal Swedish Academy of Arts.

Born in Stockholm, from 1877 to 1882, Björck was a student of Edvard Perséus at the Academy where his paintings included Loke fängslas af asarne, Gustaf Vasa inför kung Hans and Den förlorade sonens återkomst which was awarded the Royal Medal. In 1883, Björck was awarded a travel scholarship. He spent the winter of 1883-84 in Paris. The following winter, he went to Munich where he painted a few portraits, including a full-length painting of his wife. In the spring of 1885, he moved to Venice and, in the autumn, to Rome where he painted the large portrait of Susanna and Romerska smeder. In 1887, he completed a number of paintings including the Veneziansk saluhall, and Lördagsmässa i Markuskyrkan.

After summer stays at Skagen in Denmark in 1882, 1883 and 1884, he finally settled in Stockholm in 1888 where he concentrated on portraits. These include several of King Oscar