My Loved Ones 1893

Carl Larsson painted this watercolour, My Loved Ones, in 1912. With its delicate washes and light touch, the medium lends itself perfectly to the intimate domestic scene. Watercolour demands a certain spontaneity, requiring the artist to work quickly and intuitively. The transparent nature of the paint creates a luminous effect, capturing the fleeting beauty of everyday life. You can almost feel the warmth of the sun and the gentle breeze rustling through the trees. In choosing this approach, Larsson elevates the ordinary, finding artistic merit in the simple joys of family life. He engages with the traditions of fine art, such as portraiture and landscape, while also embracing the decorative arts through his attention to detail and composition. The artist’s sensitive rendering of the figures and setting invites us to reflect on the beauty and value of the domestic sphere. By focusing on materials, making, and context, we gain a richer understanding of the art, blurring the lines between fine art and craft.