Education
Born in Gravellona Lomellina, Italy, Sparre studied in Paris with Akseli Gallen-Kallela, Eero Järnefelt and Emil Wikström and took part in painting trips in Karelia with Kallela and Wikström.
Born in Gravellona Lomellina, Italy, Sparre studied in Paris with Akseli Gallen-Kallela, Eero Järnefelt and Emil Wikström and took part in painting trips in Karelia with Kallela and Wikström.
He also competed in the individual and team épée fencing events at the 1912 Summer Olympics. He moved to Finland in 1889, living there for almost two decades. After the mid-1890s, reduced his work as a painter and instead worked on developing the industrial art and graphics industry in Finland.
In 1897 he founded the Iris furniture and ceramics factory in Porvoo.
Impressed by the pottery of the English-Belgian ceramist and painter Alfred William Finch, invited him to manage the ceramics department. In 1908, moved back to Sweden and continued his painting career, concentrating on portraiture and painting landscapes.
By the time of his death in 1964 in Stockholm, aged 101, had completed over 500 portraits.