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Gunnar Widforss Catalogue Raisonné Project

Catalogue entry

no. 438
Grand Canyon from the North Rim
1924
Watercolor
21 1/2 x 27 5/8 in. (54.5 x 70 cm)
Signed lower right: Widforss –
Swedish National Museum, Stockholm
no image available
Provenance
Stephen Mather, 1926
King Gustave of Sweden, 1926
Swedish National Museum, Stockholm
Exhibitions
1924 National Gallery of Art
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C., A Collection of Water-Color Paintings of The Grand Canyon of The Colorado, Yellowstone National Park, Yosemite Valley, Zion National Park, Utah National Park, and the Monterey Coast of California. Of Special Interest to the Interior and Agriculture Departments. By Mr. Gunnar Widforss., December 10, 1924–January 10, 1925.
2018 Ljungbergmuseet
Ljungbergmuseet, Ljungby, Sweden, Gunnar Widforss - Akvarellmålaren, June 16–September 16, 2018. (Ljungberg, Sjöberg and Petersen 2018), no. 29.
Published References
Smithsonian, National Gallery of Art 1924
A Collection of Water-Color Paintings of The Grand Canyon of The Colorado, Yellowstone National Park, Yosemite Valley, Zion National Park, Utah National Park, and the Monterey Coast of California. Of Special Interest to the Interior and Agriculture Departments. By Mr. Gunnar Widforss. Washington D.C.: Smithsonian Institution, National Gallery of Art, 1924. Exhibition catalogue.
The Wasp 1926
"A Painter of the West." The Wasp (April 1926).
Sjöberg 2016
Sjöberg, Fredrik, translated by Peter Graves. The Art of Flight. London: Penguin Random House, 2016, cover.
Ljungberg, Sjöberg and Petersen 2018
Ljungberg, Pontus, Fredrik Sjöberg, and Alan Petersen. Gunnar Widforss - Akvarellmålaren. Lungby: Ljungbergmuseet, 2018. Exhibition catalogue (2018 Ljungbergmuseet), ill. in color pp. 20–21.
Notes

Swedish National Museum, NMH 849/1938
View from Bright Angel Point on the North Rim of Grand Canyon.

Stephen Mather, the first director of the National Park Service and a friend of Widforss, presented this painting to Crown Prince Gustav Adolph (later King Gustav) and Princess Louise of Sweden as a gift in 1926. The couple were making a grand tour of the United States and they visited many of the western national parks. Their visit was a national sensation and local papers published stories about the popular young couple when they were in the area. Mather had purchased this painting in 1926 from WIdforss with the intention of presenting it as a gift to the prince and princess (Belknap, 1969).

"The Crown Prince and Princess came and it was a big day. The Swedish flags were floating all over the place – they were very nice, both of them. Mr. Mather – Supt of National Parks bought a (Widforss) (the Swedish artist) you know it was $250 and presented it to them" (Grace Watkins to her mother Lettie). Grace Watkins ran the El Tovar Art Gallery.


Crown Prince Gustavus of Sweden on the ladder, Crown Princess Louise of Sweden above him in striped dress, and the royal party, Jesse Nusbaum squatting 

"The wonders of Yosemite Valley today absorbed the attention of Crown Prince Gustav Adolph of Sweden and his consort, Princess Louise… One of their countrymen, Gunnar Widforss, a noted watercolor artist, who is now painting scenes in the [Mariposa] grove, was among those to greet the prince and princess. Both thanked the artist for one of his paintings that had been presented to them at the Grand Canyon National Park." (Santa Cruz Evening News, July 26, 1926)

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Record last updated February 23, 2024. Please note that the information on this and all pages is periodically reviewed and subject to change.
Citation: Petersen, Alan. "Grand Canyon from the North Rim, 1924 (no. 438)." In Gunnar Widforss Catalogue Raisonné Project. www.gunnarwidforss.org/catalogue/entry.php?id=438 (accessed on April 24, 2024).