Lot 345: Bror Anders Wikstrom (American/Louisiana, 1854)

Bror Anders Wikstrom (American/Louisiana, 1854-1909), "Sailing at Dusk", 1909, oil on canvas, signed and dated lower left, 12 in. x 17 in., original gilt frame Note: Bror Anders Wikstrom spent his youth in the merchant marine before studying art in his native Stockholm. Coming to New Orleans in the early 1880s, he was very active in the local art scene. He was one of the organizers of the Artists Association of New Orleans and the most prolific Carnival designer of the 1880s and 1890s. Wikstrom painted Louisiana and Florida landscapes and portraits, but is best known for his marine paintings, many of which depict sailing scenes on Lake Ponchartrain and along the Gulf Coast of Florida. In addition to the time spent at sea as a boy, he also frequently traveled to Europe and the Caribbean, providing additional inspiration for his work. The painting offered depicts a consistent theme in Wikstrom's oeuvre: a schooner at full sail on the open water, with a dramatic gray sky over mauve purple seas.