Bror Anders Wikstrom (Swedish/Louisiana, 1854)

Bror Anders Wikstrom (Swedish/Louisiana, 1854-1909) , "Bank of St. John's River, Hibernia, FL", 1886, oil on canvas board, inscribed and dated "Hibernia Fla. 1886" lower right, signed and inscribed in Swedish en verso, 16 in. x 14 in., framed. Note: Hibernia, Florida was founded in 1790 by George Fleming when he built Hibernia Plantation on the St. Johns River, just south of Jacksonville. When he died in 1821, he left the plantation to his son, Colonel Lewis Michael Fleming, and the community continued to thrive. The original plantation home, which had been expanded by Colonel Fleming, survived the Civil War and became a hotel on the banks of the St. Johns River with all of its beautiful natural surroundings. The St. Johns is the longest river in Florida and one of the few rivers in the United States that flows north. The work offered here depicting the St. Johns riverbank displays Bror Anders Wikstrom's full scale of talents as a landscape painter. A sailor before he became an artist, Wikstrom enjoyed depicting water and included it in many of his landscapes. The edge of the river on the right side of the canvas in this scene reflects the sky and brings a sense of openness to a composition that is otherwise dominated by the trees on the left. The autumnal colors of the foliage resonate against the luminous background, drawing attention to the play of light and shadow throughout the painting, all delicately in balance by Wikstrom's deft hand.