Carl Mattson - Stormy Sea with Lighthouse, 1925
Regular price 55,717.00 krAttributed to Carl Mattson (1886–1941) Sweden
Stormy Sea with Lighthouse, 1925
signed and dated lower left
watercolor on canvas
unframed 73 × 81 cm (28.74 × 31.89 inches)
framed 83 × 90 cm (32.68 × 35.43 inches)
Provenance:
Private collection, Sweden.
Essay:
This dramatic coastal scene, executed in 1925, is by an artist almost completely forgotten, until today. The composition presents a turbulent sea beneath an immense cloud formation rising over the horizon, while a solitary lighthouse appears in silhouette against the glowing evening sky. The work is remarkable for its powerful atmospheric construction and for the unusual technical character of the surface, where thin washes of color allow the structure of the canvas to remain visible throughout the image.
The painting is dominated by the extraordinary cloud mass that occupies the upper half of the composition. Formed almost like a monumental apparition above the sea, the cloud becomes both meteorological phenomenon and symbolic presence. Mattson organizes the scene around the dramatic encounter between light and darkness. Deep blue passages of sky dissolve into reddish tones near the horizon, while the storm clouds gather in heavy horizontal layers across the water. The lighthouse, reduced to a narrow vertical accent, provides a quiet counterweight to the immense natural forces surrounding it.
Carl Mattson remains a relatively obscure figure today, but surviving archival references and museum records reveal an artist deeply engaged with maritime and urban subjects. Works associated with him depict harbors, quays, lighthouses, and atmospheric city scenes, often characterized by subdued illumination and expressive tonal contrasts. This painting demonstrates a highly individual approach to watercolor on canvas, a technique that remained uncommon in Sweden at the time. The method creates a delicate balance between drawing and painting, allowing transparency and absorbency to shape the visual effect of the work.
Condition report:
The canvas weave is visible throughout the composition, consistent with the artist’s thin and absorbent handling of the watercolor medium. The painting is in a good condition with fine old patina. Framed with the original frame.
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