Artwork
Gopsmor Cottage
Gopsmor Cottage is a print by Anders Zorn. It dates from 1917 and is held in the collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art.
About this work
Overview
Gopsmor Cottage is a 1917 print by Swedish artist Anders Zorn, presently in the collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art. The composition depicts a modest wooden cottage set against a wintry landscape, its roof covered in snow that reflects a pale blue sky. A solitary, leaf‑less tree occupies the foreground, while a vivid red door provides a striking focal point.
Subject & Meaning
The image captures a quiet, isolated dwelling during winter, emphasizing the interplay of light and color on snow. The bright red entrance against the white expanse suggests warmth and invitation amid the stark, cold environment, while the lone tree reinforces a sense of solitude and the seasonal stillness of the scene.
Technique & Style
Zorn employed his characteristic watercolor approach, favoring swift, fresh execution to convey atmospheric effects. His handling of light on snow demonstrates a keen observation of subtle tonal shifts, and the bold use of a single contrasting hue—red—highlights his skill in balancing simplicity with visual impact.
History & Provenance
Created in 1917, Gopsmor Cottage entered the Cleveland Museum of Art’s holdings as part of its early 20th‑century European print collection. The work reflects Zorn’s prolific output during the later stages of his career, when he frequently produced small, intimate scenes for private collectors and exhibitions.
Artist & collection
Artist
Anders Leonard Zorn was born in February 1860 in Mora, Dalarna, the illegitimate son of a Bavarian brewer and a Swedish farmer's daughter; his mother died shortly after his birth, and his grandparents raised him.
Omnibus
The Orgy (L'orgie)
"Wohl auf, kameraden, aufs pferd, aufs pferd! Ins feld, in die freiheit gezogen!" ("Come On, Comrades, to Horse, to Horse! To Battle, Bound for Liberty!")
On Stage I
Robert in the Theater
"Einer dirne schön gesicht muss allgemein sein wie's sonnenlicht" ("A Pretty Girl's Face is Like the Sunshine")
Baignoire au théatre (Lower Box at the Theater)
"Was der blitz! Das ist ja die gustel von blasewitz" ("What's That! It's Gustel von Blasewitz")
Suspension d'audience (Recess of the Hearing)
Folies-Bergere: The Censors of M. Prudhomme (Folies-Bergère: Les pudeurs de M. Prudhomme)
Kapuzinerpredigt—"Hetzt sich lieber herum mit der Dirn'" (The Capuchin's Sermon—"He Prefers to Run Around with a Girl")
Gopsmor Cottage