Study of a Wild Duck

Liljefors ranks amongst the most well-known painters of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. With a truthfulness to nature, Liljefors could depict birds and animals in dramatic moments of suspense or alone in the stillness of the forest, as in the present work. As a youth, Liljefors explored the woods near his home in northern Sweden and studied and sketched the birds and animals that he saw. He trained at the Royal Academy of Art in Stockholm and then studied informally in Germany and France. In Paris, Liljefors was introduced to Impressionism and Japanese art. He incorporated elements from both of these styles into his painting. His patrons included Swedish businessman Ernest Thiel and the Swedish Crown Prince Eugene and the most important collections of his work remain in Sweden.