Bengt Lindström
A Swedish colorist who channeled Norse mythology and raw emotion into violently beautiful, mask-like faces drenched in pigment.
1925–2008 (age 83)·Swedish artist·Birthday: September 3·The Greatest Generation
Biography
Bengt Lindström's art was a primal scream in vivid color. Born in the rugged north of Sweden, his work drew deeply from the landscapes and Norse sagas of his childhood, filtered through the expressive freedom of mid-century Art Informel. Settling in France, he became part of the Parisian scene, yet his voice remained distinctly his own: monumental, often grotesque heads and figures erupted onto the canvas in thick, sculptural layers of paint. These 'faces' were not portraits but vessels for mythic force and psychological intensity, their features contorted as if by ancient winds. Lindström worked with a physicality that bordered on performance, using his hands and knives to manipulate the paint. A devastating stroke in 2003 stilled his hand, but his legacy is one of untamed energy, a bridge between Nordic tradition and the raw nerve of European expressionism.
The Greatest Generation
1901–1927
Grew up during the Depression, fought World War II, and built the postwar economic boom. Defined by shared sacrifice, institutional trust, and a belief that hard work and loyalty would be rewarded.
Bengt was born in 1925, placing them squarely in The Greatest Generation. The events that shaped this generation — world wars, depression, and rapid industrialization — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Bengt Was Born
The biggest hits of 1925
#1 Movie
The Gold Rush
Bengt's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1925Born
The Scopes Trial debates evolution in schools
Home: $4,366President: Calvin Coolidge"Sweet Georgia Brown" — Ben Bernie
1930Started school
Pluto discovered
Gas: $0.20/galHome: $3,510President: Herbert Hoover"Body and Soul" — Paul WhitemanBest Picture: All Quiet on the Western Front
1938Became a teenager
Kristallnacht and the escalation toward WWII
Gas: $0.20/galHome: $2,850Min wage: $0.25/hrPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"Begin the Beguine" — Artie ShawBest Picture: You Can't Take It with You
1941Could drive
Pearl Harbor attack brings the US into WWII
Gas: $0.19/galHome: $3,060Min wage: $0.30/hrPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"Chattanooga Choo Choo" — Glenn MillerBest Picture: How Green Was My Valley
1943Could vote
Allies invade Sicily; Battle of Stalingrad ends
Gas: $0.21/galHome: $3,290Min wage: $0.30/hrPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"I've Heard That Song Before" — Harry JamesBest Picture: Casablanca
1946Turned 21
United Nations holds its first General Assembly
Gas: $0.21/galHome: $5,150Min wage: $0.40/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Prisoner of Love" — Perry ComoBest Picture: The Best Years of Our Lives
1955Turned 30
Rosa Parks refuses to give up her bus seat
Gas: $0.29/galHome: $9,550Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Rock Around the Clock" — Bill Haley & His CometsBest Picture: Marty
1965Turned 40
US sends combat troops to Vietnam
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $13,600Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction" — The Rolling StonesBest Picture: The Sound of Music
1975Turned 50
Fall of Saigon ends the Vietnam War
Gas: $0.57/galHome: $27,600Min wage: $2.10/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"Love Will Keep Us Together" — Captain & TennilleBest Picture: One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
1985Turned 60
Live Aid concerts raise money for Ethiopian famine
Gas: $1.12/galHome: $62,900Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Careless Whisper" — Wham!Best Picture: Out of Africa
1995Turned 70
Oklahoma City bombing; Windows 95 released
Gas: $1.15/galHome: $96,500Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Gangsta's Paradise" — CoolioBest Picture: Braveheart
2005Turned 80
Hurricane Katrina devastates New Orleans; YouTube launches
Gas: $2.30/galHome: $167,500Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"We Belong Together" — Mariah CareyBest Picture: Crash
2008Died at 83
Barack Obama elected first Black US president; financial crisis
Gas: $3.27/galHome: $153,100Min wage: $6.55/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Low" — Flo RidaBest Picture: Slumdog Millionaire
Key Achievements
- Created a vast and recognizable body of work centered on expressive, monumental faces and figures, making him one of Sweden's most prominent modern artists.
- Executed large-scale public artworks, including the famous 'Le Dieu Nu' sculpture in the French town of Sète.
- His work is held in major international collections, including the Moderna Museet in Stockholm and the Centre Pompidou in Paris.
- A documentary film, 'Lindström - Le Diable de la Couleur et de la Forme', was made about his life and process in 2004.
Did You Know?
He was a skilled athlete in his youth and once considered a career as a wrestler.
He often used a unique, personal symbolism in his paintings, incorporating signs and letters.
He lived and worked for significant periods in the French countryside, away from the Parisian art world hub.
“My gods are not from Olympus; they are trolls and giants from the northern mist.”
