Carl Larsson was born in Gamla Stan, the old quarter of Stockholm, and his difficult, poverty-stricken childhood was very different to that of his and Karin’s seven surviving children (this is Suzanne in 'The Flower Window', 1894). Their house, Lilla Hyttnäs, which they decorated and extended over the years, was the gift of Karin’s father. This quiet spot, near the mining town of Falun, three hours' north of Stockholm, inspired him to create and paint images of a version of Swedish domesticity, childhood, and family life which, while appearing to be traditional, is suffused with Larsson’s humour, delightful observations, and a surprisingly modern, progressive way of living.