Western Art Collector – August 2019

G

olden eagles are one of the largest

birds in North America with wing

spans of more than 6 feet. Often seen

in pairs, they are found mostly in the western

part of the United States. A golden eagle appears

on the national flag of Mexico.

The impressive birds appear in a large

painting by Swedish artist Lars Jonsson, Spirits

of Magdalena Mountains, (Golden Eagles). The

Magdalenas are in west-central New Mexico.

Jonsson began painting birds at the age of 4 and

his first exhibition was at the age of 15 at the

Natural History Museum in Stockholm, Sweden. 

As an ornithologist he comments, “The

urge to connect in a deeper sense with nature

brings me to long hours of observing and

sketching in the field.” He continues, “I can

feel a strong primitive attraction towards

painting, towards creating a feeling of truth.

Maybe it is faithfulness to nature that I am

seeking. The feeling of clear vision, the order

of things, a ‘this-is-the-way-it-is’ feeling. The

inspiration is nature: it is therein that I look for

an answer.” 

1. The Sportsman’s Gallery & Paderewski Fine Art, Great Gray Taking Off, oil on linen, 23½ x 47”, by Ewoud de Groot.