Gunnar Widforss: Painter of the National Parks tells the story of Swedish-American painter Gunnar Widforss (1879, Stockholm - 1934, Grand Canyon) who during the 1920s and 1930s was known as The Painter of the National Parks for the subjects that he focused on. He acquired the honorific title as the result of his friendship with Stephen Mather, the first director of the National Park Service. Early in his career, Widforss worked in Europe, primarily the Côte d'Azur and Tyrolean Alps, as well as Sweden. He developed his technical skill with watercolor, his preferred medium, painting landscapes and scenes frequented by tourists who provided a ready audience for his work.

When Widforss came to the United States in 1921, he had considerable ability and was in search of challenging subjects. Initially, he found the challenge in Yosemite National Park where he worked both in the valley and in the High Sierra. It was there that he met Stephen Mather who, impressed with his skill, commissioned him to do a number of paintings of recently established Zion National Park. That led Widforss to Grand Canyon, which would become his favorite subject and, along with Yosemite, the one he is best known for.

Unlike his contemporaries, Widforss made adventurous hikes into Grand Canyon capturing it from previously un-addressed perspectives. The Santa Fe Railway purchased ten of his Grand Canyon paintings for their collection that were used for a variety of marketing materials and travel brochures. He also worked with Park Service personnel on several projects including the Yavapai Geology Museum and the 1934 Chicago Century of Progress International Exposition.

Widforss never resorted to sentimental or romanticized depictions so prevalent in depictions of western subjects. The story of his life and work is one of great triumph in realistic painting, and his current anonymity is a compelling story of a Swedish expatriate who fell in love with the landscapes of the American West. He is one of the greatest artists to paint the American West and, despite his widespread recognition as The Painter of the National Parks in the early 20th century, his present-day obscurity is a paradox.

Widforss' enduring story is one of an artist living a classical bohemian life utterly devoted to his art. When he came to the United States in 1921, his primary focus became the great parks of the American West. There, he adapted his style to the great spaces and monumental landforms while reflecting the values of Swedish National Romanticism, which in many ways echo the same values that led to the creation of our national parks. When Stephen Mather asked Widforss to focus on the parks, he knew what he was doing. Widforss' approach and passion perfectly complemented Mather's vision for the timeless nature of these most treasured landscapes. Perhaps more than any other artist to address our national parks, Gunnar Widforss chose and painted timeless subjects that that are now an essential element of America's heritage.

Alan Petersen worked on the South Rim of Grand Canyon for three years before moving to Flagstaff in 1980 to attend Northern Arizona University where he earned degrees in painting and art history. Alan recently retired from a faculty position at Coconino Community College in Flagstaff where he taught art history, drawing, painting, and courses pertaining to the Colorado Plateau for thirty years.

As the Curator of Fine Art at the Museum of Northern Arizona, Alan has curated exhibitions of work by such notable artists as Gunnar Widforss, Joella Jean Mahoney, Mary-Russell Ferrell Colton, Merrill Mahaffey, Bruce Aiken, Ed Mell, Curt Walters, Shonto Begay, Baje Whitethorne, and Tony Abeyta, among many others.

In 2020, Alan published the catalogue raisonné of works by Swedish-American artist Gunnar Widforss that currently lists nearly 1,300 paintings. Alan has published a number of articles on the artist and in 2018 co-curated an exhibition of the artist's work in Ljungby, Sweden.

"With intimate knowledge of Grand Canyon, coupled with the heart of an artist, Alan Petersen presents this long-anticipated book on Gunnar Widforss. Within these pages I was introduced to Widforss the man, who carried the same insecurities suffered by most artists, giving readers even deeper respect for the masterful work he created. I know that when you finish this book (I had tears in my eyes), you will come away with the understanding that Alan and I have shared for over fifty years - Gunnar Widforss is an American icon, and his title is very well earned." — Curt Walters, Award winning Grand Canyon Painter, Sedona, Arizona

"Nearly every artist who attempts to paint the Grand Canyon will sooner or later get around to studying the work of Gunnar Widforss. Precise draftsmanship, deep study, exquisite use of sunlight, shadow, and reflected light, all knit together in dynamic compositions; Widforss's work is a textbook for those artists looking for an approach to realism for an extremely complicated subject. Alan Petersen has written a fine tribute to this master landscape artist whose legacy deserves greater attention today." — Bruce Aiken, Award winning Grand Canyon painter, Flagstaff, Arizona

"America's national parks are the country's greatest and most inspiring assets. From its founding in 1916, the National Park Service embraced the value of visual arts to bring visitors closer to the soul of these spectacular landscapes. No artist has captured this spirit better than the Swedish-American watercolorist, Gunnar Widforss. For many years, Alan Petersen has focused his art historical talents to bring Widforss to a broader contemporary audience. This beautifully illustrated, deeply researched book finally places the artist's personal history and talent among America's finest artists of the era. Widforss's paintings as well as Petersen's insights are to be applauded." — James K. Ballinger, Director Emeritus, Phoenix Art Museum

"This book contains a wealth of information about Gunnar Widforss, an important painter of American national parks whose work is widely admired but has never been the subject of a sustained study." — Joni L. Kinsey Ph.D., Author of Thomas Moran and the Surveying of the American West