Nils Kreuger - Twilight at Öland Heath

Nils Kreuger (1858-1930) Sweden

Twilight at Öland Heath

watercolour on paper 
unframed c. 44×58 cm (17.3×22.8 in)
framed 60×74 cm (23.6×29.1 in)

Authentication: 
Inscribed on verso by Gustaf Jaensson.

Provenance: 
Gift to The Major Edward G. Edholm on his 60th birthday in 1932.

Essay:

This tranquil view shows Öland’s rolling green heath at dusk, with grazing sheep and a lone windmill on the far horizon. The broad sky streaked with soft gold and blue underscores Kreuger’s preference for atmospheric dawn or dusk light. The distant windmill is emblematic of Öland’s rural past – historically the island had nearly 2,000 wooden mills (about 400 remain) dotting its fields – while low stone walls and lush meadow reflect its unique landscape. A single black sheep among the flock adds a poetic accent to the scene, emphasizing the quiet solitude of the countryside.

Location and Setting

The gently undulating terrain and sea-horizon view suggest a site on southern or central Öland near the coast. Kreuger summered on Öland after 1896 (when he moved to Stockholm) and often painted its pastoral ridges. The highest hill (Högsrum, 55 m or 180 ft) lies north of Borgholm, but the softer slopes here hint at the island’s southern farmlands rather than the flat Stora Alvaret. One might speculate he painted near the Kalmar Strait, perhaps on the eastern flank of Borgholm’s grazing lands. Kreuger himself often simply inscribed “ÖLAND” on such works – for example, an 1885 scene is signed “Öland” by the artist. In any case, the exact hilltop remains unidentified, but it is unquestionably Öland: the sheep, scrubby shrubs, and distant mill are all signature motifs of the island.

Comparable Works

Kreuger returned repeatedly to Öland’s pastoral themes. For example, Öland Heath at Sunset (1903) shows a single cow on a golden heath at dusk, very much in the same spirit as this scene. His 1907 piece Sheep in a Dell likewise portrays grazing sheep under a vast sky. Earlier works like Siesta on Öland (1901) and Outlying Land (1901) also evoke the same low horizon and rolling pasture. These Öland landscapes, often signed simply with the place name, emphasize mood over detail – a hallmark of Kreuger’s mature style.

Artist and Collections

Nils Kreuger (1858–1930) was a Swedish landscape painter of the Varberg School. Trained in Stockholm and Paris (at the Académie Colarossi under Laurens), he painted en plein air and favored early morning or evening scenes. By 1900 his palette had lightened and he was using small dot-like brushstrokes, reflecting Impressionist influence. He co-founded the Artists’ Union and helped pioneer a more poetic Nordic style. Today Kreuger’s works hang in major Swedish museums – notably Stockholm’s Nationalmuseum and Prins Eugens Waldemarsudde, as well as the Thiel Gallery and the Gothenburg Museum of Art – underscoring his importance in Scandinavian art history.