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Author: Matt_Viinanen, Contributing Editor
 | Zorn made a couple of lone trips to England and Spain in 1881/83, to study the works of masters not present in Sweden. More on these travels in the following chapter. Rumours of his way of life found their way back to Emma, at home in Stockholm. Although it may be said that the bearers of the news were not always correct with their information, Emma knew they were not totally without substance. Letters from the time indicates Zorn did not entirely turn his back on Emma when he was away. It can be read in the letters to his friends that he extensively participated in erotic adventures, which were not very sensational, and as he established himself in London he openly described his affair with the model he called "the pretty little girl" (Mary Smith).
"Mary Smith, In joy", pencil and gouache, 1881, 18"x13" |
| Understandably, such things mattered to Emma, but then so did Ander's artistic career and his knowledge in arts - this being fundamental in order to secure an economic grounding. Neither of them ever questioned Ander's need to go on these journeys abroad, to broaden his expertise, however, Emma sometimes felt Zorn was delaying his homecomings a little too easily and too frequently. The fact remains that they actually spent little time together during the engagement. In 1883 he returned for a short visit to Mora and to Dalarö, and completed a beautiful painting, "Emma in a hat".
Zorn's career, from its early beginnings was surrounded by an attitude of professionalism, despite turning his back on the Academy and joining the "movement of resistance" (- he had never attended a single meeting), but this did not change the fact that he opposed the system society employed to control the functions of the art world. He studied, with great skill, the rules of success: as he decorated his studio in London, at 52 Book Street, 1882, he received a very lavish group of furniture; he invested in a fancy riding dress and contacted the Swedish Embassy through whom he got in touch with 'the right' clients. To say his economical status during this period was anything other than moderate would be wrong. Zorn actually bet all his money on one card as he established himself in London. He obtained expensive business cards, and contacted one of the more prestigious tailors to acquire two new suits before managing a negotiation that allowed him credit at the art supply store at Oxford Street. The rent was high: "Five guineas a week, but I took it. Now I could only rise or fall. I had to work work work, my way for survival, and I prepared myself for the horrible thought that I might even have to starve." He later wrote in his autobiography: "In London, you can paint like a God, but still be starving." |
 | Zorn chose London over Paris to study in the country where the fine arts of watercolour had a more prominent history and tradition. His production shows attempts to adapt to the current situation in the art market. He worked on several etchings as an illustrator, but mainly concerned himself with portraits. In 1884 he completed "Lucky with the ladies", a scene from back home, completed after an enormous amount of sketching preparations where we can see how much physical and timely effort was utilised to complete a painting. He produced numerous drawings of the shoes, the hands, the hats, the trees... - essentially, everything! It is now we begin to understand that chance and luck were not elements Anders Zorn would base his production on. "It took work to create greatness."
In London he studied everything he could get his hands on, relating to Constable and Courbet. Through Count Piper, he was introduced to many fashionable family's, and in particular the Earl of Jersey, who was to become an important contact. The Earl would teach Anders how to interact with the elite; he was taught etiquette and manners, how to place his knife and fork and other such frivolities that were graced with an air of sophistication and dignity. He later remarked: "Most of all I learned, what a complete superfluous thing the artist is for the human kind, at least for this kind of humans." "Lucky with the ladies", watercolor, 1884-85, 28"x21" |
| What prompted such a statement was as a consequence of the fortnight spent with the Earl: every single word spoken had something to do with the oncoming hunt. In the mansion, there was a great collection of Dutch masters, on whom nobody knew anything about. They had stored them in the basement and only taken them out on the instruction of Anders to do so.
In London, he met with the American market through a Mr. Clarence King, a mining engineer and geologist. King socialized with such famous people as Henry Adams and John Hay, Adams being the grandson to America's sixth president John Quincy Adams. Zorn saw possibilities in such acquaintances, and seized upon the opportunities as they arose. As a result, King commissioned three portraits alongside a commissioned portrait of his wife, and during one of the sessions asked if he could arrange for more clients, " - Sure", he replied. And so the door to America laid wide open. In 1882, Zorns official price was thirty US dollars for a portrait, but when meeting King, he raised his price to fifty dollars. (The prices reflect a full-figure painting.) This caused a minor disturbance between the two and Zorn could not help but to feel uncomfortable within the situation he had found himself. He was expected to live up to his engaged status at the same time he was living the life of the 'unchained' artist. With this conflict in mind, he painted a watercolor entitled "Neglected" on which we see a young gentleman putting on his white gloves, getting ready to go out on his own to have some fun. His young wife holds his arm, with tears on her cheeks, asking him not to be gone for long... or do not go at all. Zorn finished it on New Years, 1884, and it clearly represents an element of Zorn's own emotional conflict. "Neglected, watercolor, 1884, 32"x20" |  |
 | "Love Nymph"
From a letter to Emma: "I work indefatigable on this, my love story, and it's coming along just fine. There is a Goddess, or a nymph, who just threw her self backwards to the bed, covered with luxurious drapery, trying her hardest to invite love. She shows the little bastard kid at her shoulder, where to take his aim, - straight at the viewer's heart. Another youngster by her side is eagerly mending his bow, which seems to be broken. A third one, peeking out with eyes filled with mischief, from behind a drapery, curious on what effect the arrow will have. An atmosphere filled with oriental draperies and flowers, sun-feather palm trees and ferns, and with places where the blue sky shines through. The painting gives me an enormous amount of pleasure, and makes me forget everything else (but you). If I have the energy (and I do) to complete it, it might very well be the greatest watercolour ever painted.
He began working on it in Madrid, 1883 (when the letter above was written), but didn't finish it until 1885. It cannot be denied that "Love nymph" is a radiant display of watercolor used to sublime perfection. He finished two versions in watercolour, an oil sketch, over 60 drawings, grisailles and color sketches. He studied plants at the library, butterfly wings and he had pieces of garment lying around all over the studio. These small studies shows a remarkable talent and secure hands, almost more impressive than the painting itself. It could be viewed as a paraphrase on the Venus and Amour theme. With this painting he established himself as the most promising artist back home in Sweden. The monumental painting became the center piece at the "movement of resistance" exhibition in Stockholm 1885. Media praised Zorn and his works. This piece was to become a "grand finale" of a phase in Zorns evolvement. He had already started thinking about the medium of all mediums - oil. "Love Nymph", watercolor, 1885, 46"x29" |
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