Carl Larsson, Self portrait with King Domalde, 1916. Sundborn, Forsamlingshem Land oil on canvas

Self portrait from 1916

The conregation in the parish of Sundborn solicited Carl Larsson for a self-portrait on which he made this oil painting with the inscription: WITH THANKS AGAIN TO MY FRIENDS IN SUNDBORN. In the background you can see king Domalde from one of the sketches for the large monumental painting “Midvinterblot”, where the old norse king is to be sacrificed to the gods by the people. Did he choose this particular background because he himself identified with king Domalde? It was just around this time that “Midvinterblot” was refused by The National Museum in Stockholm, which Carl Larsson took very hard; The fate of Midvinterblot broke me he later wrote in his memoars.

Annette Mård