Carl Larsson - Artist Research

As an extension of my findings from the BBC documentary series I watched about Scandinavian art, I have decided to analyse a few of the paintings of Carl Larsson, one of the key inspirations for the 'IKEA aesthetic' and what we distinctively recognise as Scandi design.

'Flowers On The Windowsill'

• An interest in nature is expressed with the young girl tending to the indoor plants. 
• There is a large window in the room making the most of the light and the view probably. 
• The house looks lived in, it isn't a show home, it is functional.  
• The layout of the painting and the room is structured and shape based, built up predominantly from rectangles but broken up by the curve of the table and the natural forms of the plants.
• The colours appear warm, probably as a contrast to the bleak weather outside. There is a sense of cosiness and warmth even though the decor is minimal. 

'Cosy Corner'

• The colours here are cooler than the first painting. There are still subtle orange tones complimenting the blues though. 
• Again, the space is lived in. The scene is homely and the dog sleeping gives a sense of calm and relaxation. 
• It seems to be a light and airy space and you can see the shadows cast by the sunshine probably coming in from a large window out of view. 
• There are geometric patterns, mainly stripes, and also the natural forms of the plants - these were both themes I picked up on in my fashion and textiles research. 

'Model Writing Postcards'

• The human form in this setting emphasises the geometry of the scene. the structure of the furniture and room itself is based on rectangles. Even the placing of the easel and painting fits to this grid structure. 
• The colour of the table stands out. It is a pop of colour in an otherwise 'bland' room. 
• The green, blue and orange/red are all bright in comparison to the wood panelling of the rest of the room. I am unsure whether the green is a wall or a view of the nature outside, but either way this is very eye-catching and fits in with the idea of Scandinavians really appreciating their natural surroundings. 

Summary
I can see how these paintings have influenced IKEA. Some of it is very plain and some quite loud but when put together they balance and form a distinctive aesthetic. I am thinking for my illustrations, maybe I should stick to mainly monochrome/neutral drawings but then select a few spot colours to tie them all together and accentuate points of specific interest. I could use Adobe Kuler to extract colour palettes from images like these. Thinking ahead to my final show, my work needs to work together as a whole so this might be a way of bringing everything together.