About Frans B. Olsson, born Sept 14, 1900, dead Oct 27, 1976
The sailor at his easel
Frans B. Olsson in his studio as a pensioner after 50 years at sea - 30 as a captain.
Frans Bernhard Olsson was from the beginning a self-taught marine painter. Later on he took lessons from professor of art Erik Jerkén in Stockholm as well as at the Art College in Middlesborough. He started his carrier as a seaman on sailing ships at 14, and ending, after more than 50 years as captain of a tanker. A Cape Horner himself his picture above, "Biscaya" can be found at the IACH - International Association of Cape Horners in St Malo, France. Frans B. Olsson had between 1939 and 1972 in all 22 exhibitions in Sweden, Denmark, as well as in Middlesborough UK and Hamburg, Germany.
His total production amounts to more than one thousand oil paintings. He was doubltess one of the most skilful painters of the stormy sea and the sky. His paintings are characterized by his self-experienced nature of the seas.