Carl Larsson - Karin by the shore - Google Art Project

Carl Larsson (1853–1919) was a Swedish painter representative of the Arts and Crafts movement. His many paintings include oils, watercolors, and frescoes. He considered his finest work to be Midvinterblot (Midwinter Sacrifice), a large painting now displayed inside the Swedish National Museum of Fine Arts.

Karin Bergöö was born in 1859 and grew up in Hallsberg where her father was a successful businessman. Karin’s artistic talent showed itself early and she began to study art at the Arts and Crafts School (Slöjdskolan) in Stockholm. Following this she went on to the Art Academy (Konstakademien) 1877-1882. After leaving the Art Academy she moved to the Scandinavian artists’ colony in the little village of Grez outside Paris. While she was there she met Carl Larsson and fell head over heels in love with him. They were married in 1883 and their first daughter Suzanne was born in 1884.