A Roman-style colonnade, rosy from a setting sun, is reflected in a lagoon ringed by plants in tones of blue-gray and bright yellow.

Behind are the pink walls of the Palace of Fine Arts in San Francisco, built just six years before Swedish-born painter Gunnar Mauritz Widforss visited the site to record it in watercolors.

The result, his "Palace of Fine Arts," 1921, is one of 48 paintings and drawings in "Gunnar Widforss — Painter of the National Parks," a new exhibition of the painter's work at the Museum of Northern Arizona.

During the Roaring Twenties and the Great Depression, when the European avant garde ruled the art world, Widforss chose to focus his passion and his energy on the national parks of the West.

AN EXACTING MEDIUM

The last major Widforss exhibit at MNA was in 1969.

The current show showcases the accuracy and nearly-photographic detail of Widforss's painting and the greatness of his body of work.

"In the 1920s and 30s, he was known as 'The Painter of the National Parks,'" said Alan Petersen, MNA curator of fine arts. "This is a stunning show, with work he painted throughout the West."

Petersen said the show has been about a year in the making and includes work from 10 collections in Arizona, including about 20 pieces in the MNA collection and number from the collection of A.P. "Abe Hayes" and his Arizona West Galleries in Phoenix.

At a time when watercolors were most commonly used as a medium for preparatory sketches, Widforss chose to paint in watercolors.

"Gunnar Widforss is a master watercolorist," said Robert Breunig, MNA director. "He used a very demanding medium, and his works are without a doubt among the finest watercolor paintings I've ever seen. He had this amazing way of evoking the spirit of a place — connecting the viewer with the place, on a very emotional level."

A BOHEMIAN SPIRIT

Widforss was born in Stockholm, Sweden, on Oct. 21, 1879, the third of 13 children.

After 1900, he led a Bohemian lifestyle, traveling in search of great landscapes to paint, which included several extended stays in the United States.

In 1921, he arrived in San Francisco and did much painting along the coast at Monterey.

He also painting in Yosemite, Sequoia and Death Valley national parks, and journeyed throughout the West to paint in Zion, Bryce, Mesa Verde, Crater Lake, Carlsbad Caverns and Yellowstone.

Widforss first visited the Grand Canyon in the 1920s.

The landscapes there soon became his favorite subjects.

He eventually made his home and set up a studio on the South Rim, where his painting were sold by the Fred Harvey Company at El Tovar.

Widforss often did strenuous hikes to remote locations in order to paint scenes from within the depths of the canyon.

BURIED AT THE RIM

In 1929, Widforss became a naturalized citizen and celebrated his 50th birthday.

While in St. Louis for an exhibit of his work in November 1934, a doctor confirmed that Widforss had a serious heart condition and warned him to move to a lower elevation when he returned to Arizona.

The painter returned to the canyon to get his affairs in order.

"He stopped at El Tovar and talked to friends," Petersen said. "He was thinking it was going to be his last night, and he was trying to get a poker party together. Driving back down the hill from El Tovar, he had a heart attack and ran into one of those trees. He's buried in the cemetery at Shrine of the Ages."

His is a compelling story of a Swedish expatriate who fell in love with the American landscape.

At the time of his death, the artist's estate included a legacy of more than 150 magnificent landscapes.

Betsey Bruner can be reached at bbruner@azdailysun.com or 556-2255.

IF YOU GO…

WHAT: Gunnar Widforss — Painter of the National Parks

WHEN: On display through June 1, 2010

WHERE: Museum of Northern Arizona, 3101 N. Fort Valley Road

HOURS: Open daily, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., except major holidays.

ADMISSION: $7, adults (18-64); $6, seniors (65+); $5, adult students w/ ID;

$4, Native Americans (7+); $4, youth (7-17), and free for children (0-6)

INFO: Call MNA at 774-5213 or visit www.musnaz.org