A life in Småland and Stockholm Emma Amalia Ekwall began her life in Gransbo, within the region of Småland. She grew up in a household where art was a shared language, being the daughter of Nils Fredrik Ekvall and the sister to Knut, Gustaf, and Hugo. Her brother Knut also found his way into painting and illustration. Between 1865 and 1871, she spent her days at the Royal Swedish Academy of Fine Arts in Stockholm, refining her hand alo…