Johan August Malmström was a Swedish painter and professor at the Swedish Academy of Arts from 1867 to 1894 and the manager of the same institution from 1887 to 1893. Attracted by gothicismus he collected motives from Norse mythology. He is also appreciated for his country motives with children. His most known work is Grindslanten, which as many of his other pictures spread throughout Sweden via magazines. He was a diligent illustrator and worked for several newspapers and book publishing houses. He made illustrations for the books Frithiofs saga and Fänrik Ståls sägner.

Malmström also made tableware for Gustavsberg, designed furnitures and worked as a pattern drawer.

Childhood and youth

August Malmström was born on 14 october 1829 at the cottage Nubbekullen in Västra Ny parish within the municipality of Motala. Nubbekullen is today a local museum. His father was a carpenter and ornamental sculptor who managed a small farm. August, together with his brother, helped his father with agriculture and woodwork. Among other works they made ornaments for altarpieces and pulpits to churches. Both parents encouraged August in his choice of life. His mother was interested literature, which evoked his interest in history. He showed early interest in drawing and painting. An injury in his right hand which never cured properly exempted him from hard work and gave him even more time to spend on arts. In his teens he was skilled enough to support his family, he made och sold so called tablets, colored pictures which was given away as presents on birthdays and name days. His parents recognized his talent and sold their only ox to finance his studies in Stockholm.

At the Academy of Arts

Malmström came to Stockholm with 27 swedish riksdaler in his pocket and applied for admission at the Royal Swedish Academy of Arts. It was first with the help of the elder painter Nils Andersson that he managed to be accepted and thus on 3 november 1849 he was registered at the academy's ground school. Already at the beginning his talent attracted attention and his study period was marked by rewards of all sorts. The academy had painting contests every year with given themes and Malmström was probably the most diligent participant. For the 1855 year contest "Konung Gustaf II Adolfs lifsfara i träffningen vid Wittsjö" ("King Gustaf II Adolf in mortal danger at the battle of Wittsjö") he was the only student to submit a contribution. However they considered that his work was "not in a good condition to be rewarded". A growing problem the academy faced was that more and more students left the academy for studies in Düsseldorf (see: Düsseldorf school of painting). Also Malmström followed the trend and went there the year 1856. He considered the academy's education as insufficient and at the same time his economic situation became gradually better. Besides scholarships and picture sales, he earned incomes from portrait orders and restoration tasks.

Gallery