Carl Efraim Wallin (March 22, 1879 - November 12, 1968) was a Swedish-American artist and painting contractor. He was born in Östra Husby parish in the province of Östergötland, Sweden and died in Chicago, Illinois, United States.
Background
Carl E. Wallin was best known for his oil paintings like landscape with figures (landscape art), especially winter landscape painting, portrait painting, figures (drawing), nature painting and symbolic fantasy compositions, related to symbolism (arts). Sometimes he also focused on illustration of biblical and mythological figures, e.g. from the greek mythology. Wallin mostly earned his living as an independent painting contractor with his own staffing agency. He was aliasis: Carl E. Wallin, Carl Ephraim Wallin, Carl Wallin, CE Wallin.
Carl E. Wallin was the son of the local farmer and carpenter Alexander Wallin (1839–1929) and his wife Inga Helena Larsdotter (1841–1887), both of them from Vikbolandet. Carl E. Wallin was the brother of the Swedish artist David Wallin (1876–1957) and he was the uncle of the Swedish artist Bianca Wallin (1909–2006) and the Swedish artist Sigurd Wallin (1916–1999). In 1907 he married Hilma Högberg (1887–1951). He became an American citizen in the early 20th century.
Early years
Carl E. Wallin grew up on a farm, Varby farmyard, in Östra Husby parish on Vikbolandet east of Norrköping city in the province of Östergötland in Sweden in a large household with many siblings, a sister and four brothers and also some other children in the household within the family. Varby had been in the family since the 17th century. The home was strictly religious, and his father turned to the Bible for daily guidance.
After finishing school Carl worked as a painter's apprentice at 17–18 years of age (1896–1897). In 1898 he moved to Norrköping. He was a non-commissioned officer in Vaxholm in the Stockholm archipelago at the Vaxholm Coastal Artillery Regiment (KA 1), in the Swedish Coastal Artillery, which was just formed in 1902, at 21–23 years of age (1900–1902).
The emigration to the United States in 1902
At the age of 23 Carl E. Wallin emigrated to the United States of America in December 1902, and at first he came to Denver in Colorado. From Gothenburg he travelled by boat, by the American lines steamship S/S Rollo, to Grimsby seaport on the eastcoast of England and then by railway via London to Southampton on the south-east coast of England. From Southampton he departed by steamship S/S Saint Paul to New York City. "After crossing the ocean in 7 days" he arrived in New York City on December 14, 1902. From New York City he travelled via Chicago and Kansas City, Kansas, and then he arrived in Denver in Colorado.
Studies in Denver and at School of the Art Institute of Chicago
He stayed in Denver and worked during the days and began studying at an art school in the evenings. Carl E. Wallin had, like his older brother, the artist David Wallin, always been interested in art and got after his arrival to America, "the opportunity to study at Reed's Art School in Denver, Colorado, where he studied at evening teaching for two years (1903–1904)". In 1904 he moved to Chicago, Illinois. Chicago was the city with the second highest number of Swedes after Stockholm, the capital of Sweden (in the year 1900). By then, Swedes in Chicago had founded a church and established such enduring institutions as a hospital and a university. Chicago is the largest city in the state of Illinois.
In Chicago he settled down to study at the art academy at The School of the Art Institute of Chicago (SAIC), Illinois, where he studied for three years (1905–1908). The school is also associated with the encyclopedic fine art museum the Art Institute of Chicago. The School of the Art Institute of Chicago (SAIC) is one of America's largest independent schools of art and design, located in The Loop, Chicago.