Zorn was one of Sweden's foremost artists. He obtained international success as a painter, sculptor, and etcher.
The identity of Edvard Zorn’s mother is mentioned, but there is no reference as to his father. Today, there is still no legal evidence to verify Ander's father, but beyond any doubt, he was Leonard Zorn, a German Master brewer. Leonard Zorn was never spoken or heard of until 1872, when his son received notice of his death in Finland.
At the Student exhibition in 1880, Zorn showed the water colour In mourning, which propelled him into the art world. The painting illustrates a young girl in mourning and it was admired for its skilfulness; the way he painted the sad young face under the veil.
Zorn met his future wife Emma Zorn, in the beginning of 1881. Her background was quite different from Zorn's. She came from a rich family in Stockholm, with an interest for art and culture.
In August 1881, Zorn went abroad to study art and to try to earn enough money to support a family. The coming four years were spent mostly in England and Spain, but during the summers he was always at home, in Mora and in Dalarö.
Zorn's art made him wealthy and he was thus able to build up a considerable collection of art. The objects were not only bought in his native country but also during the many travels he made abroad. In their joint will, Anders and Emma Zorn donated their entire holdings to the Swedish State.
Some of his most important works can be seen at the National Museum of Fine Arts in Stockholm. Among them is Midsummer Dance (1897), a depiction of dancers in the evening light of a rural Midsummer’s Eve celebration. Other museums holding major works by Zorn include the Musee d’Orsay in Paris, the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, and the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. In Sweden, the Zorn Collections are located in Mora and Garberg, Älvdalen, consist of four museums dedicated to the life and works of Anders Zorn.