Artful Insight — Birger Sandzén

Birger Sandzén came to the US from his home in Sweden in 1894 to teach at Bethany College in Lindsborg, Kansas. At just 23 years old, he was hired to teach languages and assist in the art and vocal music departments. His talent for art won him the principal art instructor position in 1899, where he remained until retiring in 1946. He also has ties to Colorado. He taught as a guest artist at the Broadmoor Art Academy (later the Colorado Springs Fine Arts Center) and the Chappell House School of Art in Denver. In addition to teaching, Sandzén was a prolific painter, producing at least 2600 oil paintings and 500 watercolors. He is known for his bold use of stroke, color, and heavy impasto paint. Many of his paintings feature landscapes of the American Southwest, Rocky Mountain National Park, Yellowstone National Park, and his beloved Kansas. His work can be found in the premier art institutions in the US and Sweden, including here at the American Museum of Western Art.

Image credit: Birger Sandzén, Colorado Mountain View, 1923