Zorn was a Swedish painter known for his depictions of nude bathers, country festivals, and portraits. Employing a restricted palette of colours, Zorn captured various qualities of light and form with free brushstrokes similar to those of John Singer Sargent. Born on February 18, 1860 in Mora, Sweden, he was admitted to the Royal Academy of Fine Arts in Stockholm at the age of 15. Mainly working in watercolour and etching until 1887, Zorn developed a sure-handed approach to colour and tone that informed his oil paintings. Over the following decades, he gained international acclaim for his skilfully executed portraits, and became known for his ability to capture the individual characteristics of his subjects. He notably painted the portraits of three US Presidents, William Taft, Grover Cleveland and Theodore Roosevelt. Zorn spent much of the latter part of his career living in his hometown, painting rustic scenes of villagers. The artist died on August 22, 1920 in Mora, Sweden. Today, his works are held in the collections of the Musée d’Orsay in Paris, the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, the National Museum in Stockholm, and the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C., and others.