160 Birger Sandzen (1871-1954)
Flagstaff, 1936
oil on board 4 7/8 x 4 7/8 inches titled, dated and signed verso: Flagstaff / 1936 / Birger Sandzen Provenance: Private Collection, MO $2,000 - $3,000
Around 1910, Sandzén developed a style of paint application and brilliant color that made his work unique among his peers. He used powerful brushstrokes, strong outlines, and balanced forms to give his views of nature a vibrant impact uncommon in two dimensions, as is evident in the works featured here. His rapid brushstrokes and their thick, painterly application recall the influence of the Post Impressionists, particularly Van Gogh. As an artist, Sandzén was concerned with the overall flow and rhythm of a landscape. Color was extremely important to him, and his rich palette included many colors, some of which can be seen in these landscapes of pines and aspens, including cadmium yellow, cadmium red, raw sienna; emerald green, ultramarine blue, and cobalt violet. He also took into consideration and tried to account for the visual effects of the refraction and reflection of light on the natural forms he painted, according to the specific time of day and the atmospheric conditions. Sandzén also discovered and appreciated the various and divergent beauty of the western regions of the country, and starting in 1926, he began spending summers in Estes, Park, Colorado, and Logan, Utah. He visited Bryce and Zion Canyons while in Utah and traveled to the Grand Canyon in Arizona. The magnificent scenery depicted here resembles other landscapes he painted along the Colorado River while in Estes Park. Around 1910, Sandzén developed a style of paint application and brilliant color that made his work unique among his peers. He used powerful brushstrokes, strong outlines, and balanced forms to give his views of nature a vibrant impact uncommon in two dimensions, as is evident in the works featured here. His rapid brushstrokes and their thick, painterly application recall the influence of the Post Impressionists, particularly Van Gogh.