Anders Loman (1879–1953) Sweden
Mountain Landscape in Moonlight, 1926
signed and dated lower right 26
oil on canvas
unframed 64 × 68.5 cm (25.2 × 27 in)
framed 74 × 79 cm (29.1 × 31.1 in)
Provenance:
Private collection, Sweden
Essay:
Anders Loman, born in 1879 in Rättvik in the province of Dalarna, belongs to a generation of Swedish artists whose work was shaped by both regional identity and international exposure. The son of a soldier and charcoal burner, his background reflects the rural environment that would remain a lasting point of reference throughout his artistic life. Loman’s career developed across several parallel fields, as he was active not only as a painter but also as a writer and art critic, a combination that situates him within a broader intellectual and cultural milieu rather than solely within studio practice.
His formal training took place at Valand School of Fine Arts in Gothenburg between 1910 and 1913, one of the leading institutions in Sweden at the time. This education was complemented by a series of study trips across Europe, including Paris in 1914 and later journeys to Germany, Austria, Italy and Denmark.
Loman exhibited separately in Falun in 1934 and in Stockholm in 1939, while also participating in group exhibitions with the Dalarnas Art Association and in the significant exhibition Dalakonstnärer at Liljevalchs Konsthall in 1936. His inclusion in these contexts underscores his position within the artistic life of Dalarna, a region that played a central role in the construction of Swedish cultural identity during the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries.
The present painting, dated 1926, belongs to a mature phase in Loman’s career, when his painterly language had achieved a notable degree of refinement. The composition is structured through horizontal bands of colour and tone, creating a sense of spatial depth while maintaining an overall unity. The handling of light is subdued and indirect, contributing to a contemplative mood rather than a descriptive account of a specific place. Such works demonstrate Loman’s ability to distill landscape into essential relationships of colour and form.
Loman spent much of his life in Mora, where he died in 1953.
Condition report:
The painting is in good condition. The surface presents a stable paint layer with bright and clear colors. The work is presented in a new gilded frame.
Sources:
Svenskt konstnärslexikon
Nationalmuseum, Stockholm, collection and archives
Nordisk konst kring sekelskiftet 1900, exhibition literature
Auction records and archival material on Anders Loman