Birger Sandzen (1871 - 1954) Sweden Pastel on Paper Measure 4"in H x 9 1/2"in W and 10 1/2"in H x 16 1/4"in W with frame. Known for: Abstract richly colored landscape and still life painting Name variants: Sven Birger Sandzen Birger Sandzen was born in Sweden in 1871. He emigrated to the United States at a very young age, settling in Lindsborg, Kansas. He remained there for the rest of his life, teaching at Bethany College. In the early years, he studied art in Paris and in the early teens was invited to be a Taos Founder. Though honored by this gesture, he chose to remain in Lindsborg, Kansas. Sandzen's style of painting is unusual in its thick and heavy application of impasto in bold and bright color combinations, interpreting the landscape of the western United States. He is known for very colorful renderings of mountain lakes with boulders, cypress and aspen trees and moonrises along waterways. He died in Kansas in 1954, forever refuting to be a follower of Vincent Van Gogh, though known to many as the "American Van Gogh".