The Water Sprite
Ernst Josephsson1882
Nationalmuseum Sweden
Stockholm, Sweden
According to myth, the violin music of the Water Sprites tempts people into the water, where they drown. In Ernst Josephson’s painting the Water Sprite is playing in the moonlight. His music is accompanied by the sound of the waterfall behind him. The water cascades and splashes. River weed and other plants wrap around his head. Grasses wave between his legs and caress his stomach, while flowering water plants tickle his back. His body is young, strong and slender, almost androgynous. We have an idea of but cannot see his sex. The Water Sprite has his eyes closed and his mouth half-open. He appears to be intensely enjoying the music and the nature around him.
The vivid expression of sensuousness and sensuality shocked the audience of the time. In the 1890s, Nationalmuseum turned down one version, Strömkarlen, which was bought by Prince Eugen and now resides at Prince Eugen’s Waldemarsudde. Another version of The Water Sprite is in the collection of the Gothenburg Museum of Art. Nationalmuseum’s painting dates from 1882–1883 and was purchased with the support of the Friends of Nationalmuseum in 1915.
- Title: The Water Sprite
- Creator: Ernst Josephsson
- Creator Lifespan: 1851/1906
- Creator Nationality: Swedish
- Creator Gender: Male
- Date Created: 1882
- Title in Swedish: Näcken
- Signature: Ernst Josephson
- Physical Dimensions: w1140 x h1440 cm (without frame)
- Artist Information: Josephson was a Swedish poet and artist, who chiefly painted portraits and genre pictures. At the age of 16, he started his training at the Royal Swedish Academy of Fine Arts in Stockholm. In 1874 he continued studying at the École des Beaux-Arts in Paris. He also travelled to the Netherlands, Italy and Spain. At the age of 20, he made his famous declaration: “I will become Sweden’s Rembrandt or die.” Josephson was influenced by French Realism, which manifested itself primarily in his portrait painting. In the early 1880s, he painted several variations on the theme of water spirits. One of these is Strömkarlen from 1884, whose rejection by the Nationalmuseum hit Josephson hard. Instead, the painting was purchased by Prince Eugen, who gave it a permanent home in his palace at Waldermarsudde. Nationalmuseum now owns a different version of the motif, called The Water Sprite. In the summer of 1888, Josephson was diagnosed with schizophrenia. During his illness, he produced several remarkable oil paintings, watercolours and drawings that have influenced subsequent generations of Swedish artists. In 1893 his artist friends organised a retrospective of his work in Stockholm, which proved a breakthrough for his art. 1901 saw the publication of Josephson’s poetry collection Svarta rosor och gula.
- Type: Painting
- Rights: Nationalmuseum, Nationalmuseum
- Medium: Oil on canvas
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