The Journey of Henry Mattson
Born in Gothenburg, Sweden, Henry Mattson emigrated to America in 1906. His early years in the United States were spent working as a helper at a mechanical workshop in Worcester, Massachusetts, while pursuing self-study in painting. His formal training was furthered through evening classes at the School of the Worcester Art Museum. Seeking to deepen his artistic knowledge, he returned to Gothenburg in 1912 to study at the Valand Painting School, where his talent was recognized by his teacher. After returning to America, he lived in Chicago, working in a factory by day and painting by night, before moving to the Byrdcliffe Colony in Woodstock, New York, in 1916. There, he studied under the landscape painter John F. Carlson.
Artistic Evolution and Recognition
Mattson’s body of work primarily consists of landscapes and machines, though he also produced portraits and still lifes. His early style was characterized by a poetic-mystical romanticism, which later transitioned into a heightened dramatic form of expression. His career saw significant milestones, including a solo exhibition in New York in 1921 and participation in group exhibitions in London, Paris, and Italy. He was also featured in Swedish-American exhibitions in both Sweden and Gothenburg.
Throughout his career, Mattson received several prestigious honors, such as:
His public works include frescoes located at the post office in Portland, Maine. His art is represented in various institutions, including the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Smithsonian American Art Museum, the Whitney Museum, the Brooklyn Museum, and The Encyclopaedia Britannica Collection.
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