Visiting Zorngården and the Zorn Museum in Mora - fascinating!

What is it like to visit Zorngården and the Zorn Museum in Mora? We made a visit here last week and were incredibly fascinated. It is not only the art that is impressive, but also the special house and, of course, the story of Anders and Emma Zorn.

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Zorngården and the Zorn Museum in Mora

Zorngården is the home built by the couple Anders and Emma Zorn in Mora, and right next door is the Zorn Museum, where you can see Anders Zorn's art.

Zorngården is located in the centre of Mora, in the Siljan region, in Dalarna.

Anders and Emma Zorn - a fascinating saga

Anders Zorn was born in Mora in 1860. His mother came from a simple family and Anders grew up with her and his grandparents. He never met his father, a German brewer named Leonard Zorn. However, his father recognised his son, and Anders even received an inheritance when his father died.

The inheritance helped Anders financially and at the age of 15 he was accepted at the Academy of Fine Arts in Stockholm. At the student exhibition in 1880 he made his mark with the watercolour In mourning. Wealthy Stockholmers began to recognise his talent and commissioned portraits of him, and it was during one such commission that he met Emma Lamm.

Emma came from a wealthy Jewish merchant family and she and Anders were initially engaged in secret. Anders had no secure income at the time, and he needed to prove that he could support his future wife.

However, the future had gold in its pockets, and Anders Zorn did very well. He became a popular portrait painter, and in the USA his portraits were sold to industrialists, bankers, politicians and presidents for astronomical sums.

In the late 1880s, Zorn began to develop the genre for which he is perhaps best known today - the nude in nature. The Zorn couple lived in Paris for eight years, but in 1896 they moved home to Zorngården in Mora. As a result, motifs from the Siljan region, with the common people and old traditions, became increasingly prominent in Zorn's artwork.

Anders and Emma Zorn also contributed to the local community in many ways, and with their support the Zorn Orphanage and Mora Folk High School were established. After Anders' death, Emma saw to the construction of the Zorn Museum.

Visiting the Zorn Museum

We started with a visit to the Zorn Museum, where you can look around on your own during the museum's opening hours. A selection of Zorn's paintings, sculptures and etchings are on display, as well as art from the artist's own collections.

You don't have to be particularly artistically inclined to recognise Zorn's style, and some of his most famous paintings. This, of course, makes it extra fun to see these works of art, and at the same time learn a little more about the art and the artist.

Visiting Zorngården

To visit Zorngården you have to book a guided tour, which is highly recommended. We went on a guided tour through the house, which was very interesting and fascinating. The house is not only about art, but also about the ideals of the time in terms of interior design, and about cutting-edge technical convenience solutions.

Anders and Emma Zorn were well off, and it shows. For example, Anders had a water heater shipped from the US - and when installers were not available, he simply sent an installer over to the US for training.

There was also no hesitation in ordering a huge pool table from the continent, despite the fact that a specially built train carriage was required for its transport.

The Zorn couple socialised in the upper echelons of artistic society, and their circle included Erik Axel Karlfeldt, Prince Eugene, Albert Engström, Bruno Liljefors and the couple Carl and Karin Larsson. It is interesting to try to imagine the evenings in this house, back in the day!

It is not allowed to take photos inside the building, so we show a press photo from the dining room. There are very There's more to see in this fascinating house, we promise, which is why you shouldn't miss visiting Zorngården!

Just outside the house, in a smaller building, you can also peek into Zorn's studio. Some additional attractions, which are linked to Zorngården, include Zorn's old farm (open-air museum, founded by Anders Zorn), Time travel (animated tours at Zorn's old farm) and Mother Goat (the artist's preserved sanctuary on the Österdal River).

Catering and service at Zorngården

Just outside Zorngården, in the old stables, you will find Café Zorn, which offers both food and coffee. At the Zorn Museum you'll also find a museum shop, with books, arts and crafts and interior design items. 

More to see and do in Mora

In addition to visiting Zorngården and the Zorn Museum, there is more to things to see and do in Mora. For example, you can go to Nusnäs to see the production of Dala horses and maybe buy some dala horse souvenir.

Of course, you can also check out the Vasalopp finish line or enjoy swimming and camping at First Camp Moraparken. Or why not make a detour to the beautiful Orsa?

Have you visited Zorngården and the Zorn Museum?

Have you visited Zorngården and the Zorn Museum in Mora? How was your experience of the visit?

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