When Nils Dardel painted Cissi Olsson som Anitra i Peer Gynt, he captured not only a performer but a moment of Swedish cultural life that bridged theatre and painting. The sitter, Cissi Olsson, was a celebrated dancer and actress known for her role as Anitra in Henrik Ibsen’s Peer Gynt, a part that required both dramatic flair and physical grace. The painting stands as one of the few visual records of Olsson in this role, and it is said to have been painted around the time of a notable Stockholm production, though the exact year remains uncertain.

This intersection of performing and visual arts was a hallmark of Dardel’s circle, where artists, dancers, and writers often collaborated and inspired each other. The scene Dardel chose is Anitra’s seductive dance, a pivotal moment in Ibsen’s play when Peer, the restless wanderer, is led astray by the desert princess. Anitra’s costume, rendered with bright, exotic fabrics and flowing lines, signals her otherness and allure, while her posture—half-turned, one arm extended—suggests both invitation and elusiveness. The background is sparse, focusing the viewer’s attention on Anitra’s expressive face and the theatricality of her gesture.

Compared to Edvard Munch’s more psychological interpretations of Peer Gynt, Dardel opts for clarity and vibrancy, highlighting the performance itself rather than the protagonist’s inner turmoil. The painting’s subsequent history is not well documented; it is not clear whether it was commissioned by Olsson herself, a theatre patron, or painted for Dardel’s own interest in the Stockholm arts scene. It has appeared in several exhibition catalogues devoted to Dardel, who was known for his portraits of artists and performers in the early 20th century. Today, Cissi Olsson som Anitra i Peer Gynt is recognized as a testament to Dardel’s fascination with theatrical personalities and the creative energy of his milieu, though its current location is not widely published.

The work stands as a vivid example of how Swedish modernism embraced the stage and its stars.