Axel Olson (1899–1986) was a Swedish painter and a central member of the Halmstad Group, known for his early Expressionist work and later contributions to Swedish Surrealism. He trained at the Technical Evening School in Halmstad and continued his studies in Copenhagen before undertaking formative travels abroad. His early development was shaped by encounters with modernist movements in Germany and France, experiences that broadened his visual vocabulary and strengthened his interest in structure, rhythm, and expressive form.

In 1922–23, Olson undertook extended study trips to Italy and Germany that allowed him to devote himself fully to painting. Traveling via Berlin and Munich, he arrived in Rome in May 1922 and continued on to ...