Carl Milles (1875–1955) was the leading sculptor in Swedish art during the first half of the 20th century. He completed a vast number of public commissions both in Sweden and internationally. Milles was the monumental sculptor who received the major decorative assignments during a time when many cities were expanding and being modernized.



Carl Emil Andersson was born on Midsummer’s Eve, June 23, 1875, at Örby Gård in Lagga parish, Uppland. His parents were Emil and Valborg Andersson (née Tisell). His mother, Valborg, died in childbirth when Carl was only four years old. His father soon remarried, adding more siblings to the family. Two of Carl’s siblings also became artists: his sister Ruth (1873–1914) and his half-brother Evert (1885–1960).



Carl never excelled in school but was handy and enjoyed working with clay and wood. Due to his struggles in school, his father decided that Carl should leave school after fifth grade and instead pursue his clear talent for craftsmanship. It was decided that he would train as a cabinetmaker.



In the early 1890s, Carl studied at the Technical School (Tekniska skolan). With the help of a scholarship, he traveled to Paris in 1897, where he was deeply influenced by, among others, the French sculptor Auguste Rodin. Carl studied at various schools and academies and during this time met his future wife Olga, who was also an artist. They married in 1905 and settled in Munich. The marriage was childless.



In 1907, Carl and Olga Milles purchased a plot of land on Lidingö, and in 1908 they began building their home with adjoining studios. By the spring of 1909, the couple moved into their new home. Olga was more private, while Carl enjoyed inviting friends over and socializing after an intense day in the studio.



The 1910s were a period of experimentation for Carl, as he searched for a more personal artistic expression. By the mid-decade, he began exploring the importance of water in his sculptures, which led to the creation of several wall fountains and large-scale fountains.



Following major commissions and numerous important exhibitions during the 1910s, Carl gained wide recognition in Sweden. He was appointed professor at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts and presented many proposals for monumental sculptures in various Swedish cities, including Europa and the Bull in Halmstad and Folke Filbyter in Linköping.



Until 1930, Carl Milles lived and worked on Lidingö. During this period, he received numerous commissions from across Sweden. At the same time, he began to feel the effects of envy from some of his contemporaries, and a desire to leave Sweden began to grow. In 1931, Carl and Olga moved to Cranbrook Academy of Art outside Detroit, where Carl became head of the newly established sculpture department.



During his time in the United States, Carl held several exhibitions and served as a mentor to many students—including Oliver LaGrone, the first Afro-American to study at Cranbrook. Commissions for public works continued, and during this period he created several notable sculptures: the Peace Monument in St. Paul, The Meeting of the Waters in St. Louis, and the Fountain of Faith in Falls Church, outside Washington, D.C.



Meanwhile, the development of the sculpture park at Millesgården continued under the leadership of Carl’s half-brother, architect Evert Milles. Carl sent his instructions in letters from the U.S., and in 1936, Carl and Olga donated their home on Lidingö to the Swedish people.



In the early 1950s, the couple returned to Europe and divided their time between Rome and Millesgården. In Rome, Carl was given a permanent studio by the American Academy, where he completed his final major sculptural projects: the St. Martin Fountain in Kansas City and the Aganippe Fountain for the Metropolitan Museum of Art.



In 1955, the same year he turned 80, Carl Milles passed away in September at Millesgården. His wife Olga lived on until 1967.

While Millesgården preserves an artistic legacy, we must also confront a darker side of Carl Milles. We know that Milles expressed pro-German sympathies and admiration for figures such as Hitler in private letters. The preserved correspondence offers insight into a complex personality who defended humanistic ideals while also expressing controversial political views. The exhibition The Sculptor Carl Milles – 150 Years also sheds light on the more complex aspects of Milles’s life in order to provide a deeper understanding of him as both an artist and a person.

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Carl Milles left behind an extensive collection of private letters. They reveal a complex person with many interests and strong opinions. Beside everyday greetings and reflections, many of the letters give insight to Milles’s artistic work but also show in several letters support for fascism and nazism. What is the significance of Milles’s opinions when we encounter his art? In the spring of 2025, Millesgården invited six people to discuss the issue.



Participants: Evelina Berglund, curator at Millesgården, Jeff Werner, art historian, Ulrika Milles, literary critic, Erik Näslund, author, Dimen Hama Abdulla, artist and playwright, Christina Gamstorp, Head of Department for Visitor Experience at the National Museums of World Culture and former Director of the Jewish Museum. Moderator: Sofia Curman. Recorded at Millesgården in March 2025.



A selection of letters from the years 1933–1955 are digitally available to read in the Artist’s Home.  

1875 - Carl Emil Andersson is born on 23 June at Örby Gård in Uppland, Sweden. His are Emil Andersson (1843-1910), an officer, and Walborg Tisell (1846-1879). Emil’s nickname “Mille” inspired the Andersson children to adopt Milles as their family name when they became adults.



1879 - Carl Milles’ mother dies in childbirth. Carl had two siblings and after his father remarried three half-siblings. Two of his siblings worked in the arts, his sister Ruth Milles (1873-1941) was a sculptor and his brother Evert Milles (1885-1960) an architect.



1892 - After completing his schooling he is apprenticed to a cabinet maker. Attends evening classes at the Technical School, Stockholm, where, from 1895, he becomes a day pupil.



1897 - Receives a grant of SEK 200 from the Slöjdföreningen. Travels to Paris where he stays for several years and supports himself as cabinet maker. Produces small scale sculptures that he sometimes sells. Studies anatomy at École des Beaux-Arts and is greatly inspired by Auguste Rodin.



1899 - Makes his first appearance at the Paris Salon.



1900 - Receives an honorary mention at the Paris Salon and is awarded the silver medal at the World’s Fair.



1901 - Visits Munich for the first time.



1902 - Wins recognition for his Sten Sture monument in Uppsala.



1903 - Travels to Holland and Belgium. Is inspired by the sculptor Constantin Meunier.



1904 - Temporarily settles in Munich for studies.



1905 - Marries the Austrian portrait painter Olga Granner (1874 -1967), an artist colleague he met when both were studying in Paris.



1906 - Returns to Sweden. Among other sculptures, he produces the first version of the Gustav Vasa statue for the Nordic Museum in Stockholm.  



1907 - Convalesces after suffering lung problems in Austria and Italy.  



1908 - Begins to build a house and a studio on his plot of land in Lidingö. Enjoys numerous successes and receives new commissions. Works primarily with granite.



1914 - Enjoys great success at the Baltic Exposition in Malmö.



1920-31 - Professor of modelling at the Royal Academy of Art in Stockholm. Throughout this period he receives major commissions from various Swedish cities.



1923 - Honorary exhibitor at the Tercentennial Jubilee Exhibition in Gothenburg.



1927 - Exhibits at the Tate Gallery in London.



1928 - Holds exhibitions in Lübeck and Hamburg.



1929 - First visit to the United States.



1931-51 - Resides with Olga in Cranbrook, Bloomfield Hills, outside Detroit, where he is Professor of Sculpture at the Cranbrook Academy of Art. He receives many commissions for fountains and monuments throughout the United States. He also holds exhibitions. From 1945 he spends some summers in Sweden at Millesgården.



1936 - Millesgården is constituted into a foundation and donated to the Swedish people.



1948 - The Swedish state redeems Carl Milles’ antique collection and it is transferred to Millesgården and incorporated in the foundation.



1951 - Returns to Europe. Winters are spent in Rome, where the American Academy has provided Carl Milles with a residence and studio free of charge and for life. Summers are spent at Millesgården, where work on the site continues. The Lower Terrace is constructed. During the final years of his life, Milles creates several significant works, including Saint Martin and the Aganippe Fountain.



1953 - Receives an Honorary Doctorate from the University of Stockholm.



1955 - At the age of 80, Carl Milles passes away in his home at Millesgården on 19 September.