Imagine Rosa Bonheur disguised as a bush, immobile and camouflaged, approaching cows, oxen and rabbits as closely as possible without scaring them. Funny, right? If nothing proves this fantasy in the animal painter, it is in any case the subterfuge used by the painter Bruno Liljefors to carry out his mission. After Anders Zorn and Carl Larsson, the Petit Palais celebrates the final act of its Swedish trilogy around the most discreet of Scandinavian painters at the turn of the 20^th century. In a ballet of eighty paintings of infinite delicacy and around thirty drawings and photographs of a new naturalistic power, this exhibition paints the portrait of a man of the forest, capable of observing and studying for hours, even whole days, the movements and behaviors of the animals around him. In contrast to the "idyllic" animal painting of the time, the artist describes the daily life of his wild companions in their natural environment, dissecting their anatomy, capturing ospreys, birds and foxes in person. Whether perched on the tops of maritime pines or immersed in the cold waters of the archipelagos, Bruno Liljefors appears here as the first champion of Nordic nature.

Did you know?
Bruno Liljefors participated in the 1932 Summer Olympics in the… painting category!

SMALL PALACE
From October 1, 0224 to February 16, 2025
Avenue Winston-Churchill, 75008 - M° Champs-Élysées - Clémenceau (1/13)
Tue. to Sun. 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Fri. and Sat. until 8 p.m., closed Mon.
Price: €12 - TR: €10 - Free under 18s