A commission from a Manchester company in 1858 sent Egron Lundgren to India to document the Sepoy Mutiny. Under the protection of Queen Victoria, he accompanied the British Army for a year, producing over 500 watercolors and drawings that eventually became recognized as the defining body of his professional output.
Early Engineering and Artistic Pivot
Born in 1815 in the Jakob and Johannes parish of Stockholm, Egron Sellif Lundgren began his career path away from the arts. After 1829, he attended the Teknologiska institutet to study resource management. Following his graduation, he was employed in Eskilstuna and at a cannon foundry in Finspång. Dissatisfied with industrial work, he enrolled at the Royal Swedish Academy of Fine Arts in 1835. He remained there for four years before relocating to Paris to study under Léon Cogniet and replicate works housed in the Louvre.
Twenty questions, eight minutes on the clock, and a percentile measured against everyone who has taken it. No sign-up.
Take the IQ test →European Travels and Genre Painting
Lundgren spent the 1840s traveling across Europe, supported by scholarships from the Royal Academy. He resided in Rome from 1841 to 1849, engaging with the local Scandinavian artistic community. Subsequently, he spent four years in Spain, where he transitioned away from oil painting and historical subjects. Instead, he prioritized watercolors, focusing on genre scenes that captured public festivities, markets, and the lives of local residents. During this period, he also spent time refining his skills in Munich and Vienna.
London Residency and Royal Recognition
In 1850, Lundgren achieved membership in the Royal Academy and was offered a professorship three years later. He declined the position, moving to London in 1853, where he remained until 1867. His primary income derived from portraiture, though he also documented Royal court ceremonies and produced scenes inspired by Shakespearean plays. In 1864, he was elected to the Royal Watercolour Society. His base in London facilitated extensive travels through Norway, Spain, Italy, and Egypt.
Final Years and Literary Legacy
Lundgren returned to Stockholm permanently in 1867, though he continued to travel during the winter months, including a final trip to Italy in 1873. During his remaining years at his birthplace in the Jakob and Johannes parish, he turned to landscape painting and literature. He compiled his diaries and letters into a two-volume work titled En målares anteckningar. He died in 1875. His work remains part of the collections at the Nationalmuseum and the Göteborgs konstmuseum.
Fast facts
- Born: 1815, Jakob and Johannes parish
- Died: 1875, Jakob and Johannes parish
- Education: Royal Swedish Academy of Fine Arts
- Primary medium: Watercolors
- Notable commission: Sepoy Mutiny documentation
- Professional memberships: Royal Swedish Academy of Fine Arts, Royal Watercolour Society
Questions readers ask
What subjects did Lundgren focus on during his time in Spain?
He focused on genre scenes, public festivities, and market life.
Where can the public view his works today?
His pieces are held in the collections of the Nationalmuseum and the Göteborgs konstmuseum.
.jpg)
