Birger Sandzén (Swedish, 1871-1954) Study of Juniper, Pikes Peak, Colorado
1920. Oil on artist board. Signed and dated 'Birger Sandzén 1920' (lower right).
12 x 16 in.
Nedra Matteucci Galleries, Santa Fe, New Mexico.
A Private Midwest Collection.

Birger Sandzén (Swedish, 1871-1954)
Sven Birger Sandzén, born 5 February 1871 in Blidsberg, Sweden, was an accomplished landscape artist and art educator. At the age of ten, Sandzén joined the Skara Cathedral School to study art. Upon graduating in 1890, he studied for a short period at the University of Lund before moving to Stockholm. In 1894, he moved to Paris to complete his painting studies, where he studied under Edmond Aman-Jean. Later that year, he moved to Lindsborg, Kansas to teach at Bethany College, where he remained faculty for fifty-two years. In 1940, Sandzén was recognized by the Swedish Government for his contributions to cultural relations between the U.S. and Sweden, awarding him both the Order of Vasa and the Order of the North Star. He also received honorary doctorates from the Midland Lutheran College, the University of Nebraska, and Kansas State University. Sandzén found inspiration in the Smoky Hill River Valley of central Kansas, and many of his paintings feature landscapes of the American Southwest. Though oil was his most used medium, Sandzén’s works also include prints and watercolors. He died 22 June 1954 at the age of 83 in Lindsborg, Kansas. Many of his works reside at the Birger Sandzén Memorial Gallery at Bethany College, established in 1957.

No in-paint or restoration.