Portrait of Thorsten Laurin

Portrait of Thorsten Laurin was made in 1908, depicting one of Carl Larsson's most important patrons and personal friends. Thorsten Laurin (1875–1953) was a Swedish art collector and publisher who built one of the finest private collections of Nordic modernist painting in the early twentieth century, including major holdings of work by Larsson, Anders Zorn, and other Swedish artists. The Laurin family's relationship with Larsson was warm and sustained over many years, resulting in multiple portraits of family members. In 1908 Larsson was completing major works for the Nationalmuseum and at the height of his reputation; painting a portrait of Thorsten Laurin at this moment was an act of mutual regard between established artist and committed patron. The Nationalmuseum's holding of this work — alongside its collection of Larsson's other paintings — reflects the degree to which the institution became the primary repository of his legacy.

Oil on canvas with the assured, direct handling of Larsson's mature portraiture. The sitter is rendered with psychological attentiveness; the palette is relatively restrained compared to his decorative domestic work but the brushwork carries the same economy of means. Compositional format follows the conventions of bourgeois male portraiture.