A Life in Leksand
Lilly Amalia Segerdahl began her life in Husby församling, Kopparbergs län. She was the daughter of Yngve Adalrik Segerdahl, a forester, and Amalia Nordström. Her path led from the forests of her youth to the classrooms of Tekniska skolan in Stockholm. In 1904, she moved to Leksand. There, she found herself studying under Gustaf Theodor Wallén. She became more than just a student; she was his pupil and his caregiver for many years. Her presence in Leksand was marked by her devotion to her teacher, even as she worked to find her own hand in paint.
The quiet rhythms of Leksand shaped much of what she produced. She spent time in a small cottage that was later restored by the Hantverksföreningen in Leksand. While her work often reflected the people and landscapes around her, her personal life was marked by periods of mental struggle that eventually slowed her ability to create. She remained part of the local artistic fabric, participating in the Föreningen Svensca Konstnärinnor and exhibiting in places like the Baltiska utställningen and Liljevalchs konsthall.
The Brush and the Subject
Her work often focused on the figures of Dalarna. She had a way with color and composition, particularly when capturing the local kulla. In her oil paintings, such as Kullor i vinterlandskap, there is a focus on the seasonal shifts of the landscape. Her portraits, including one of her maternal uncle Richard Dybeck, show a certain boldness in how she arranged the subjects on the canvas. She worked with both oils and watercolors, moving between the heavy texture of paint on canvas and the lighter touch of water on paper.
Some of her most recognized pieces involve the domestic scenes of rural life:
- The Spinners: A figurative painting that captures the motion of traditional work.
- Porträtt av dalkulla: An oil on canvas study of a local woman.
- Akvarell, porträtt av kulla: A watercolor piece focusing on facial character.
Legacy and Presence
Though she lived much of her life in the shadow of her teacher, her paintings remain in collections where they can be seen by those who visit Leksand and Storvik. Her works are held in the Leksands konstgalleri and at Gästriklands folkhögskola, with some pieces on loan from the Nationalmuseum. She left behind a record of a specific time and place in Sweden, captured through the faces of her neighbors and the light of the landscapes she knew.
