Carl Larsson – art, family life and porcelain on the wall
Carl Larsson (1853–1919) was one of Sweden’s most beloved painters and today stands as an icon of Nordic art. He became known both in Scandinavia and internationally for his atmospheric depictions of Swedish rural life, family life and the small joys of everyday life.
Many of his works take their starting point in the home in Sundborn, where his wife Karin and the couple’s children often appear as motifs. Larsson worked in both oil and watercolour, but it is especially the watercolours that have lived on far beyond the canvas.
Several of these motifs have been reproduced on porcelain – including the popular plates from Bing & Groendahl. Rörstrand and Royal Copenhagen have also released porcelain decorated with Carl Larsson’s art, which today is appreciated both by collectors and by those who wish to bring a touch of Scandinavian cultural heritage into their homes.
How to use Carl Larsson plates as decoration in your home
Plates and porcelain with Carl Larsson’s motifs are today sought-after collector’s items, while also bringing a touch of Scandinavian cultural heritage into the home. They have a special ability to create atmosphere and personality – both for collectors and for those who simply wish to surround themselves with something beautiful.
The plates can be hung on the wall as small artworks in their own right or be part of a personal gallery wall. They can also be used on the table, for example with Bing & Groendahl’s Carl Larsson coffee set or Rörstrand’s Mother’s Day plates, which are made to be eaten from. Finally, they can be placed on stands in bookcases, display cabinets or on sideboards, where they stand out as unique details that bring warmth and character to the décor.
Bing & Groendahl Carl Larsson plates
In the late 1970s Bing & Groendahl released a series of porcelain plates with motifs by the Swedish painter Carl Larsson. The series came at a time when plates were at the height of their popularity worldwide, and many porcelain manufacturers issued series for almost every occasion. Interest was enormous, and collectors found joy in both the classic Christmas plates and the more artistic releases.
Bing & Groendahl’s Carl Larsson series consists of four sets with four plates each, a total of 16 different motifs. The first eight plates depict life in Larsson’s own home in Sundborn, where his wife Karin and the couple’s children often appear in the scenes. The last eight depict various tasks in nature – such as harvesting, apple picking and potato digging – and capture the atmosphere of Swedish rural life. The series was released between 1977 and 1980 in an edition of 7,500 sets, mainly aimed at collectors in the USA and Canada, where interest in this type of artist plates was particularly strong.
The plates measure 22 cm and are made with a pierced edge forming a lace-like pattern – a technique that required great precision. Each motif is reproduced with high detail, all colour nuances are included, and 24 karat gold has been added along the edge, underlining the series’ fine expression.
The first plate in the series reproduces the watercolour The Flower Window from 1895, where Karin Larsson stands watering flowers in the family’s cosy living room. Later in the series the daughter Brita, dressed in red with a basket of apples is also seen. The motif draws on the myth of Idun, the goddess of youth’s apples, and adds a layer of symbolism to the picture.
Today, the plates are sought-after collector’s items, not least because they were released in a limited edition. They can be hung on the wall as small artworks, arranged together as a complete series or placed in stands in bookcases, display cabinets or on sideboards, where both the decorative lace-like edge and the vivid colours can be enjoyed in full.
Rörstrand Mother’s Day plates with Carl Larsson motifs
Rörstrand began their Mother’s Day series in 1971 – only two years after Bing & Groendahl had introduced the world’s first Mother’s Day plate. From the beginning and right up until 2004, all of Rörstrand’s Mother’s Day plates were decorated with motifs taken from Carl Larsson’s watercolours, so today the series stands as a complete insight into the artist’s universe.
Year after year new motifs were chosen, and together they depict both the family in Sundborn, everyday life and the atmospheric moments for which Carl Larsson is so well known. The series is executed in blue underglaze – the classic style that most people associate with Scandinavian plates – and precisely for that reason they can both be used for serving and withstand the dishwasher.
Many choose to set the table with them on special occasions, where they add a touch of tradition and history, before finding their place on the wall again. Rörstrand Mother’s Day plates with Carl Larsson motifs are therefore both a tribute to motherhood and a meeting between art, everyday life and Scandinavian cultural heritage.
Porcelain paintings with Carl Larsson motifs from Royal Copenhagen
Royal Copenhagen released a series of porcelain paintings with motifs by Carl Larsson in the 1980s and 1990s. Among the well-known examples are Breakfast under the Big Birch and The Flower Window, both produced in numbered editions of up to 9,500 copies.
Unlike the traditional plates, these works were made as flat porcelain plaques – often mounted in frames with wood or gilt edges – and they were created to hang on the wall as small works of art. In this way Larsson’s watercolours were given new life in a form that combines the artist’s motifs with Royal Copenhagen’s porcelain craftsmanship.
The porcelain paintings are today sought-after among collectors, but they have also found new relevance in interior design. Many choose to use them as retro elements, either hanging alone as a focal point or combined with other classic plates, prints or frames in a gallery wall. They fit naturally into homes with a nostalgic feel or a retro style, but can just as easily create contrast in modern interiors, where they bring warmth and personality. In this way they combine a touch of 1980s wall art with Carl Larsson’s timeless universe in today’s homes.
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