BIRGER SANDZEN (American, 1871-1954), Desert Landscape

BIRGER SANDZEN (American, 1871-1954), Desert Landscape, oil on board, (approximate dimensions - sight: 23-1/4 h x 19-1/2 w inches), signed lower left; note verso. Notes: Frame has very minimal wear, approximate dimensions - framed: 25 h x 29 w inches. Bio: Birger Sandzen was a Swedish-born American artist known for his vibrant, impasto landscape paintings of the American West. Aside from painting, Sandzen was a printmaker and an educator. After graduating from Skara College, Sandzén studied art history and French at Lund University, then furthered his education in perspective and form drawing at a technical high school in Stockholm. He joined a group of artists studying under Anders Zorn, Richard Bergh, and Per Hasselberg before moving to Paris to study with Edmond François Aman-Jean. Sandzén played a leading role in shaping the regional art scene, founding both the annual Mid-West Art Exhibition in Lindsborg and the Smoky Hill Art Club. He also organized the Prairie Watercolor Painters and was a founding member of the Prairie Print Makers. Provenance: Provenance: This painting has remained in the family for decades since it was originally acquired. Note verso: “….My parents had bought this painting directly from the artist. They met Mr. Sandzen through the Reverend Fred, and his wife, Grace, Jackson Street, Denver, Colorado sometime before Mr. Wilkson’s death in 1935. My parents lived at East Ninth Avenue, Denver Colorado from sometime around the summer of 1930 until they moved to Jersey Street, Denver, Colorado in June 1942. My recollection is that they owned the painting from the time we moved to the Jersey Street house. I was born in 1931. My father died in 1997, and I inherited it shortly after his death.” Condition: Condition: Impasto application, surface dust, minor abrasion at upper left area, no visible inpaint under UV light, overall very great.