Bror Anders Wikstrom, Swedish/Louisiana 1854-1909, “Sailboats at Sea”, oil on canvas

Lot description

Bror Anders Wikstrom Swedish/Louisiana, 1854-1909 "Sailboats at Sea" oil on canvas 1901, signed and dated lower left, framed. Note: Born in Sweden, Bror Anders Wikstrom's first career was that of a sailor, making numerous trips between the Netherlands and the United States. The scenery from these voyages stayed with him when Wikstrom decided to become an artist. Wikstrom worked in many different media throughout his career: he was an illustrator, printmaker, painter, and cartoonist, and he designed Carnival pageant sets in New Orleans. Wikstrom also taught art. He, along with Andres Molinary, Paul Poincy, and Achille Perrelli, founded the Artists' Association of New Orleans, where young artists in the city could have lessons in drawing, oil painting, watercolor, and sculpting. Many of Wikstrom's oil paintings harken back to his past at sea. He often portrayed ships sailing or in the harbor, using his keen sense of color and atmospheric effects to highlight the maritime vessels. In the massive painting offered here, Wikstrom captures the frosty chill of the snow-covered shoreline and cracked ice ornamenting the waves as sailboats slice through the biting seascape. Ref.: Dobie, Ann B. "Bror Anders Wikstrom." 64 Parishes. www.64parishes.org. Accessed Mar. 24, 2026.