A Pleasant Bathing-Place (1896-1898 CE)

En god badplats or A pleasant bathing-place is a captivating watercolor by Swedish artist Carl Larsson portraying an idyllic summer scene of children playing and swimming at a riverbank. Set against the lush greenery of Sundborn, Sweden, the artwork exudes joy and nostalgia, inviting viewers into a serene moment of familial harmony. This piece, part of Larsson’s celebrated book A Home (1899), showcases his mastery in capturing light, movement, and the beauty of everyday life.

Created between 1896 and 1898, A Pleasant Bathing-Place is one of 26 watercolors featured in Carl Larsson’s A Home, published in 1899. Larsson was a pivotal figure in Swedish art and drew inspiration from his family life at Lilla Hyttnäs, his home in Sundborn, shared with his wife Karin and their eight children. The painting depicts a scene at Bullerholmen, a riverbank Larsson owned, which became a popular bathing spot for local children. The artwork reflects the national romanticism and Arts and Crafts movement of the late 19th century, emphasizing simplicity and connection to nature. Its creation coincided with Larsson’s efforts to document and idealize Swedish domestic life, making it a significant contribution to his oeuvre.

Larsson’s own words in A Home provide a vivid anecdote about Bullerholmen: “Since the time I took the boys straight from bed in the mornings, rowed across, and threw them in first… it has become the neighborhood’s bathing resort. All day long in summer, the middle of it swarms with naked, beautiful bodies against the green.” This passage captures the lively atmosphere of the scene, with children diving from a makeshift trampoline and splashing in the river. A charming detail is the inclusion of a brown-and-white dog in the foreground, possibly a family pet, calmly observing the children’s play. 

A Pleasant Bathing-Place holds a central place in Swedish cultural heritage, embodying Larsson’s vision of an idealized “Swedishness” characterized by harmony with nature and family life. Larsson’s work, alongside his wife Karin’s interior designs, influenced Swedish aesthetics and the global Arts and Crafts movement. The painting’s depiction of carefree childhood and rural simplicity carries symbolic weight, evoking nostalgia for an unspoiled, pre-industrial era.

The artwork is a watercolor on paper, measuring 32 × 43 cm (12.6 × 16.9 inches). Larsson’s technique is notable for its bright, translucent color palette and delicate yet lively compositions. He employed fine black contours to define figures, enhancing their clarity against the vibrant greens of the landscape and the shimmering blues of the river. The painting captures the play of light on water and foliage, with dynamic brushstrokes conveying the children’s movement. A wooden trampoline and distant red cottages add rustic charm, while the dog in the foreground is rendered with soft, precise details, blending seamlessly into the scene.

A Pleasant Bathing-Place has been housed in the Nationalmuseum in Stockholm since its acquisition. As part of the museum’s collection, it remains a cherished piece of Sweden’s artistic heritage.