It was in the early 'eighties that Swedish artists became really active. They had then become acquainted with the work of the French Impressionists and had learnt something of the value of the new vision and a closer and more direct approach to nature.
The results were seen at the "Opponents" Exhibition in Stock holm in 1885. The exhibition was greeted with the derision ac corded to all new movements, but many of the exhibitors united to form the "Konstnarsforbundet" in 1886, which marked the definite foundation of the modern Swedish School. The prevail ing influence of Diisseldorf had been succeeded by that of Munich and finally by that of France, but the new artists determined to throw off all foreign influence, which was a healthy if an im possible attitude. One of the leaders of the new movement was Ernst Josephson (1851-1906). He was supported by the more widely known painter, Anders Zorn (186o-192o), whose brilliant gifts of execution almost rivalled those of J. S. Sargent. Zorn, however, was a superficial observer who sacrificed everything, both in painting and etching, to brilliant personal technique. His in fluence, like that of all painters whose work is merely the exercise of personal cleverness, was not a salutary one nor capable of de velopment. His immediate followers were Larsson (1853-1919) and Liljefors. Carl Hill (1849-1911) was the chief of those in fluenced by Impressionism.
August Hagborg (1852-1921) and Hugo Salmson (1843-1894) were prominent members of the "Opponents" group; like Per Ekstrom (1844), they lived and worked in France. George Pauli (1855-1935) did fresco painting, using that medium for the decoration of the staircase in the Gothenburg Museum. He was affected by most of the modern French movements and finally adopted a cubist manner. Hanna Pauli (1864– ), figure and portrait painter; Acke (1859-1924), marine and genre painter; Oscar Bjorck (186o– ) ; Rikard Bergh (1858-1919) are other well-known names in Swedish art. K. Nordstrom (1855-1923), who was a prominent leader of the "Konstnarsforbundet," Wil helmson (1866-1928) and Hesselborn played a part in the move ment which led to the formation of the national school of painting.
The movements known as Expressionism (from Germany) and Cubism (from France) had a number of followers in Sweden, of which the more prominent were Isaac GrUnewald (1889– ), G6sta Sandels (1887-1919), Leander Engstrom (1886-1927).
of which country Finland formed a part until its conquest by Russia in 18°8. The influence was general and not confined to art. The people are distinguished by a natural love of colour which was expressed in their richly coloured rugs and the naïve paint ing:, which covered the walls of country churches. But there was little serious art previous to the 19th century.
There were no art patrons and few facilities for the study of painting. The modern school, such as it is, dates from the founda tion of the Finnish Art Union, which provided funds to establish a school of art. It is not advanced in character but resembles the more academic side of Swedish art. The chief painters are B. Lindholm (1841-1914), A. Edelfelt (1854-1905), V. Westerholm (186o-1919), who was trained at Dusseldorf and afterwards fol lowed the French "plein air" school, Helene Schjerfbeck (1862– ), M. Enckell (187o-1925), Hugo Sunberg (1873-1917), a strange personality, somewhat akin to William Blake, and Marcus Collin (1882– ) of Swedish origin, who follows Expressionism. Russia.—Russian art, in spite of the impact of modern move ments, has maintained its national characteristic quality, a sort of direct, almost primitive, realism.
More or less superficially it has been affected by contact with Paris for most of the Russian artists have found their way there. But the process of modernisation which has been felt, in varying degrees, in all countries, has been less drastic, has operated in a less imitative way in Russia.
Many Russian artists have been attracted by the theatre and the ballet; in the designing of costumes and in decor they have been peculiarly successful. Among the artists who have given the best of their attention to this branch of art, Leon Bakst (died in 1924), Alexandre Benois, Ivan Bilibine, Mstislav and Rostislav, Dobuzinski, Golovine and Koustodiev are the most notable. In spite of an intermittent tendency to the fantastic (which is yet rooted to earth), such as one sees in the paintings of Shagall, the majority of the painters are realists. Certain artists have a reli gious preoccupation, such as Stelletzki. The chief realists are Gregor Chiltian, whose work is almost photographic in its direct ness, Boris Grigorieff, Jacovlev, Nathalie Gontcharova (Spanish subjects), Gritchenko, Schoukhaeff, Zenaide Serebriakova, Polu nin, Nadia Benois.