Ever look at a family and think their life looks perfect? Well, Carl Larsson made a career out of his idyllic family life.

He was known for his charming watercolors and, unlike many artists who are known for one particular muse, such as George Romney and his adoration of Emma Hart, Larsson had nine: his wife and eight children. They were his favorite subjects, with their family home often showcased as well.

Larsson was dedicated to art from an early age, working various jobs as an illustrator and as an artist for the humorous newspaper Kasper. Despite his talent, he struggled for many years before making a name for himself. Larsson met his future wife at an artist’s colony in Grez-sur-Loing, France, and it was there that he switched from oil paintings to watercolors, crafting the look he became best known for. 

His wife, Karin Larsson, was an interior designer and together they stylized their home, called Lilla Hyttnäs, into such iconic perfection that it is still open today for tourists to envy. Fair warning, if you browse the pictures online, you’ll probably wish you could move there.

With the introduction of color reproduction printing, Larsson’s popularity grew even further as color books of his watercolors became best sellers and his picture story books made him one of Sweden’s earliest comic creators. While his watercolors are what he is most famous for, Larsson considered his most important works to be those commissioned for public buildings such as that of Gustav Vasa’s triumph in Nationalmuseum.

Near the end of his life, Larsson attracted a great deal of controversy in his life while working on Midvinterblot. He considered the piece to be his greatest work, writing in his autobiography that one day the work would be appreciated and be displayed in its originally intended space. He was proven right eighty years later, but while he lived there wasn’t anyone among the critics or the members of the museum board at Nationalmuseum that agreed with him. Despite this hiccup, Larsson is still one of Sweden’s most beloved artists.