Rest After a Long Flight, Oil on Canvas

Origin: Sweden
Profession: Painter
Born: October 22, 1952, Stockholm, Sweden


Lars Jonsson was born in Stockholm, Sweden, in 1952. Growing up, Jonsson spent his time outdoors observing and sketching birds. As a teenager, he joined the Swedish Society for the Protection of Nature. When he was only fifteen years old, Jonsson exhibited paintings at the Natural History Museum in Stockholm. He rose to prominence as a painter of bird life soon thereafter.

Jonsson was able to travel, draw, and paint birds around the world as an illustrator for field guides. For reference material, the painter uses specimens, photography, as well as his own field notes and drawings. He is highly regarded internationally for the sensitivity and skill of his paintings.

Counting Bruno Liljefors and Louis Agassiz Fuertes among his most significant influences, Jonsson has exhibited throughout North America, the United Kingdom, and in his native Sweden. In addition to creating artwork, he also teaches and lectures on painting. His book, Bird Island, was published in 1983.