Sven Birger Sandzén, more commonly known as simply Birger Sandzén, was born in 1871 in Bildsberg, Sweden. His was an artistic family, and Sandzén began experimenting with watercolors at a young age.
At the age of 20, Sandzén intended to enroll as a student at the Royal Academy in Stockholm, but didn't want to wait for a spot to open. Instead, he learned of a painting class being formed by Anders Zorn, one of Sweden's premiere painters and etchers. Sandzén was accepted as one of only 8 students to begin studying in a small art studio in Stockholm. The class would grow in size and reputation, and came to be known as the Konstnärsförbundet, or Artists League.
At the end of his studies, Zorn recommended that Sandzén complete his painting studies in Paris. So, at the age of 23, Sandzén went to Paris to study painting with pointillist Post-Impressionist painter Edmond-Francois Aman-Jean, who also taught with Georges Seurat. It was in Paris that Sandzén was first introduced to the pointillist style of impressionism. His time in Paris was extremely influential on his art, and he benefited greatly from the artistic richness of the city.
It was while studying with Aman-Jean that Sandzén heard stories about the U.S. from his American classmates. Intrigued with the idea of visiting the States, Sandzén wrote a letter to the founding President of Bethany College in Lindsborg, Kansas. Dr. Carl Aaron Swensson’s telegram reply to Sandzén was succinct: “Come at once!”
At Home in Kansas
On September 4, 1894, Sandzén began teaching French, Swedish, German and Spanish at Bethany College. while assisting in the art department and the vocal music department. In 1899 he became the principal art teacher for Bethany College, staying active in the music and language programs there. Sandzén had originally intended to visit the U.S. for just two or three years. He ended up staying in Lindsborg for the rest of his life, teaching at Bethany College for 52 years.
It was while he was in Kansas that Sandzén developed an expressionist style of painting that has been likened to Vincent van Gogh and Paul Cézanne. Sandzén was taken with the Smoky Hill River Valley area of central Kansas, which provided much of the subject matter for his paintings. Sandzén also traveled to Colorado and Mexico, and several of his paintings feature the Rocky Mountains and the great landscapes of the American Southwest. He came to be known for his thick, textural, impasto style of painting and his bold use of stroke and color. Though he painted some noted still-lifes, Sandzén is perhaps best known for his landscapes.
Birger Sandzén died in Lindsborg, Kansas, on June 19, 1954, at the age of 83.
In recent years, paintings by Birger Sandzén have become quite collectable and continue to rise in value. On a 2006 episode of Antiques Roadshow, a Sandzén painting was appraised by Kathleen Harwood, owner of Harwood Fine Arts, Inc., at a value of $30 thousand to $65 thousand dollars.
Birger Sandzén’s work may be viewed at the Birger Sandzén Memorial Gallery, located at 401 North First Street in Lindsborg, Kansas.
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