This 1935 "untitled" oil portrait by Swedish-born American legendary Disney illustrator and animator Gustaf Adolf Tenggren likely depicts his wife Mollie Tenggren. She is the central focus, occupying most of the canvas. The young woman is pale-skinned with dark hair styled in an updo, secured by a thin, light-colored headband. Her expression is somewhat playful, yet reserved, with her head downturned to the side, but her gaze directly at us. She is elegantly dressed in a long, flowing teal gown, with a deep V-neck and sleeveless design, rendered with soft folds and drape. Her posture is relaxed yet poised; her hands rest gently near the bottom of her gown. Beside the woman stands a dark metallic ewer with a bulbous body and curved handle holding a bouquet of bright, light yellow flowers with distinct bell shapes. The flowers provide a striking contrast to the somber tones of a mottled purple-gray background and the woman's dress. Tenggren was Influenced by Scandinavian folklore and Arthur Rackham's style, he moved to the U.S. in 1920, working for companies like Milton Bradley. From 1935 (the year of this portrait) to 1940, Tenggren's job at Disney was to create inspirational illustrations for movies. He was on the Snow White project for three years and his paintings had a major influence on the interior of the dwarfs’ cottage, queen’s laboratory, and the scenes in the woods where Snow White flees a hunter. Tenggren created each of the seven dwarfs and gave each dwarf his own personality matching his name. After that, he worked on Pinocchio and Fantasia. After leaving Disney in 1940, he pursued a prolific career illustrating Golden Books and other children's literature, returning to a style reminiscent of his Scandinavian roots in his later years. During his 20 years with Golden Books, he illustrated 28 best-selling children's books including The Pokey Little Puppy and The Tawny Scrawny Lion.
Untitled (possibly Portrait of Mollie Tenggren) by Gustaf Tenggren (Swedish American) - Oil on canvas / 1935 - Weisman Art Museum (Minneapolis, Minnesota) #WomenInArt #PortraitofaWoman #art #artText #artwork #GustafTenggren #Tenggren #SwedishArtist #BlueskyArt #OilPainting #1930s #WeismanArtMuseum
