Carl Larsson ‘Decorating the Tree’ Postcard — Sweden

In Decorating the Tree (Julgranskonfekt, 1917), a small child stands before the Christmas tree: white winter coat, green headscarf, black boots. The tree behind them carries candles and ornaments; the red-painted bench and stairs of the house at Sundborn fill the background. The child is dressed for the outside, still caught by the lights — and Larsson has caught both of them, the child and the tree, in the same even, affectionate light.

Christmas at Sundborn was a recurring subject for Carl Larsson. He painted the holiday across his family's generations — from the early years with young children running through the rooms to these later, quieter images of the household in its maturity. Julgranskonfekt was made in 1917, two years before his death, and has a quality of summarising: an ordinary Swedish Christmas, lit from within.

This art postcard reproduces the pen, ink, and watercolour original on a 10×15 cm card at 350 g/m². An ideal Christmas postcrossing card, a seasonal piece for correspondence, or a collector's item from the Sundborn series. Part of the Carl Larsson collection; explore all painting art postcards.