My loom sits quietly but my robe now has life breathed into it and is a part of a bigger tapestry- one of community, strength, and uplifting culture. Check out KTOO for videos and the Juneau City Museum to see Ravenstail Robes on display! #handmade#fiberarts#weaving#alaskalife#dancers#looms
Jansson (1862-1915) was a Swedish painter, known mostly for his cityscapes nighttime scenes, and for his use of blue. After about 1904, though, he switched to figure painting, mostly male nudes. Jansson had suffered scarlet fever when he was young, and was left with various health problems; to combat them he worked out regularly at a naval bathhouse, where he met most of his models.
Here we have the athletic hall at the bathhouse (which was really closer to what we'd think of as a gym) decked out with signal flags for a Saturday night dance. The sailors are twirling their girls around, obviously having a good time.
Not much is known of Jansson's private world; his brother destroyed his letters and papers after his death at 53. It's largely agreed on now that he was probably gay and was having an affair with one of his frequent models. (Jansson's brother Adrien was definitely gay; homosexuality was illegal in Sweden until 1944, so the destruction of his letters could have been to protect his reputation.)