Emma, Girl from Mora

Art Historical Context

Anders Zorn's *Emma, Girl from Mora (1897) captures the essence of everyday Swedish rural life through the portrait of a young girl from Mora, Zorn's hometown in Dalarna. As a leading figure in late 19th-century Swedish art, Zorn was celebrated for his masterful depictions of women in natural, unposed settings, blending realism with a luminous sensitivity to light and texture. This etching his fascination with the people and landscapes of Mora, evoking a sense of national and folk tradition during Sweden's fin-de-siècle cultural renaissance. Printed as an etching on luxurious ivory laid paper, the work showcases Zorn's virtuosic command of the intaglio technique. He incised intricate lines into a metal plate, allowing acid to etch fine details that translate into velvety blacks and subtle tones when inked and pressed. The modest image size (22.5 × 17.5 cm) on a larger sheet emphasizes the print's intimacy, making it accessible yet collectible—a hallmark of the etching revival that democratized high art in Europe. Housed in the Art Institute of Chicago's Prints and Drawings collection, *Emma* exemplifies Zorn's international acclaim; he exhibited widely in Paris and America, bridging Scandinavian realism with global audiences. Visitors will appreciate its delicate rendering of youth and fabric, inviting a closer look at one man's tribute to his roots.

About the Artist

Anders Zorn · 1860–1920

Anders Zorn (1860–1920), one of Sweden's most celebrated artists, was born on February 18 in Utmeland near Mora in Dalarna, and raised on his maternal grandparents' farm in the nearby hamlet of Yvraden. Displaying prodigious talent from a young age, he attended school in Mora Strand until age twelve, followed by secondary grammar school in Enköping, where he excelled in drawing people and horses. ...