Peter Dahl

Peter Dahl, one of the truly great artists of our time, known for his expressive and often provocative works.

Dahl was born in Oslo, Norway, on February 16, and moved to Stockholm, Sweden as a child together with his family. He began studying art in the early 50s at Gerleborgsskolan in Stockholm and later attended the Royal Institute of Art in Stockholm, where he was under the tutelage of Lennart Rodhe.

Artistic Career

Dahl´s work is especially known for its expressive realism. His art commonly features intense colours and sensual figures, often set in salons or taverns. Through his art he presented a new critical view of the luxury and the excesses of the upper class. Although Dahl tried to avoid being labelled as an artist he was frequently viewed as a political artist with a leftist perspective. His work often included social commentary and critique. One of his most argued pieces is *The Breakthrough of Liberalism in Society, commonly known as The Sibylla Painting, the painting depicted Princess Sibylla in a provocative manner. This painting was so controversial that it was seized by the police in the 1970s but was later returned and is now displayed at the Gothenburg Museum of Art.

Notable Achievements

Dahl continued to create socially critical and provocative works and is perhaps best known for his 87 illustrations of Carl Michael Bellman's Fredman's Epistles, a collection of songs and poems from the 18th century. This series toured Sweden during the 1980s and was highly successful, helping to cement Dahl’s popularity with the public.In an expressive realist style, Dahl provided a critical perspective on the luxury and excess of the upper class. His paintings often feature sensual figure compositions in bold colours, set in salon or tavern environments.
His works are held in several major Swedish art museums, including the Kalmar Art Museum, Norrköping Art Museum, and Moderna Museet in Stockholm.

Peter Dahl passed away in 2019.