Having completed his studies at the Swedish Academy (1889-92) Pelle Swedlund went to Paris where he met Paul Gauguin and together they experimented in making woodcuts. His contact with the Nabis circle of painters led him to visit Bruges in 1898, a place which was to fascinate and inspire him throughout his career. At the turn of the century, Bruges, which was known as Bruges-La-Morte following Georges Rodenbach's novel of that title, was a cult gathering place for Symbolist and mystical painters and writers and was particularly significant for certain Swedish painters. The instant success of Oscar Levertin's novel Bruges in Sweden provided a context for understanding Swedlund's paintings. Various ancient towns in Sweden gained some...