Carl Larsson The Funny Fellow 1917
Painted only a year before his death, "The Funny Fellow" has double doses of Larsson's wonderful sense of humor, and waxes a bit philosophical, too. I love the composition, which (as always in Larsson's works) appears so effortless and natural, but is in fact quite sophisticated.
Description: A funny doll dressed in the garb of a fishing boat's sea captain captures the attention and imagination of a little boy. The boy's hand, clad in a mitten many sizes too large, rests on the edge of the table. The white-bearded doll leans forward in a wonderfully lifelike pose and seems to gaze, pop-eyed, at the boy. Each appears to regard the other as quite the funny little fellow!
The doll is sitting astride a toy canoe finely crafted of leather and decorated with a Swedish folk design in a tulip motif . On the table behind are real tulips in a vase of water and one of these arcs gracefully over the canoe as if it is curiously regarding the scene.
On the wall are sketches of models in various poses and states of undress, leaving the viewer to surmise the setting is the artist's studio, yet these sketches hold no interest for the boy who has just grown tall enough to see over table tops and the sense of fascination travels in a direct line between the ragged doll and the child.
The play of opposites here kaleidoscopes through a repetition of motif and material and shows itself in multiplicity: the young boy and the old, tattered doll; the pristine and embellished leather canoe and the boy's well-worn utilitarian shearling cap; the doll's "sailor suit" of bright color and the boy's somber black coat; the real tulips and the painted tulips; the real boy and toy man. The doll's worn and tattered aspect testifies to how much and how many children have loved him, while the boy, warmly dressed in a new coat, is obviously well-beloved by adults.
The real tulips, set upon the table as things of natural beauty to be enjoyed and admired, must remain in water to ain their fleeting existence. The little boat, also a thing of beauty with much care lavished upon it by human hands, represents an object which is meant to travel in water yet remains in perfect condition without it. The viewer is left with the impression that the little Viking boat and the sketches on the wall are still preserved in this world, while the tulips, the doll, the shearling cap, and perhaps even the little boy have passed away. Yet it is the two beloveds, doll and boy, and their apparent fascination with each other which are the central focus of the painting and what captures our own imaginations, as if to say: art may endure, beauty may be admired, but love and good humor are far more to be treasured.
This print is intended for matting and framing or may be hung as a poster. The white border makes the mounting and matting process easier if you plan on framing it. If you prefer a bleed poster (no white border), a borderless version is available in my gallery's Art of Carl Larsson Collection.
The default setting here is for the "basic" paper option. Do try out the other paper options and choose the one which suits your taste and budget. The papers with UV protection will give you a longer lasting print, one you can hand down in the family, and I would certainly recommend this option if you plan to hang the print in a sunny location. I would not choose the canvas option myself, as it is not in keeping with this print (the original being watercolour on paper, not oil on canvas).
About the original work of art:
Artist: Carl Larsson
Title: The Funny Fellow
Date: 1917
Medium: Watercolor
About the artist:Carl Larsson, (b Stockholm, 28 May 1853; d Falun, 22 Jan. 1919) was a Swedish painter, illustrator, printmaker, and writer. His work included numerous portraits and book illustrations, as well as several large murals (the best known are those on Sweden's artistic history in the Nationalmuseum, Stockholm, 1896).
Sweden's most beloved artist, he is now remembered mainly for his watercolors of the idyllic life he enjoyed in his now-famous house in the village of Sundborn with his wife Karin and their eight children. In the words of a contemporary critic, "these are altogether charming -- spirited, vivid, original and full of an indescribable freshness and heartiness."
This print was lovingly prepared for print by a professional graphic artist. This is an ultra-high-resolution file and will print beautifully even at the larger sizes. I have carefully corrected the "haze build up" (the smoke, grease and dust which eventually dulls the orignal artwork) in the manner of an art conservationist (but using digital means and state-of-the-art software) while retaining the charming patina of age. I have also carefully removed stains and fly specks here and there and stray marks incurred after it left the artist's hands, but left the artist's original pencil marks and tiny ink dots alone, as they are part of the original charm of the painting.
