Man Fishing and Holding Bottle

Anders Zorn's "Man Fishing and Holding Bottle" is a pen and red ink drawing on ivory wove paper that reveals the lighter, more spontaneous side of this celebrated portraitist. Zorn (1860–1920) was equally accomplished as a painter, etcher, and draftsman, and his drawings often capture subjects with a freedom and humor that his formal portraits necessarily suppress. This drawing shows a man—perhaps Zorn himself or a friend—engaged in the leisurely activity of fishing, a bottle in hand suggesting the relaxed pleasures of a day by the water. The red ink gives the drawing a warm, lively quality, and Zorn's pen work is fluid and expressive, capturing the scene with quick, confident strokes that convey movement and character with remarkable economy. Zorn's drawings were often created for his own pleasure, recording moments of everyday life in Sweden, particularly in the Dalarna region where he maintained his home. They offer a counterpoint to his polished society portraits, revealing an artist who found equal satisfaction in the honest observation of ordinary life.

Zorn's pen-and-ink drawings document the intimate, unguarded side of Swedish life at the turn of the century, complementing his formal portraits and etchings with a more personal vision.

This playful drawing shows a different side of Anders Zorn—the artist at leisure, capturing the simple pleasures of fishing and drinking with the same technical brilliance he brought to his portraits of the wealthy and famous.