Sven Richard Bergh (1858–1919) was a Swedish painter, art critic and museum manager. Despite many years in France, he remained unattracted to Impressionism, preferring instead the Naturalism of painters such as Jules Bastien-Lepage. He also rejected the idea of creating landscapes en plein aire.
Both of his parents, Johan Edvard Bergh and Amanda Helander (1825-1888), were artists and, presumably, his first teachers. He began his formal studies with Edvard Perséus, at his private school then, from 1878-1881, at the Royal Swedish Academy of Fine Arts.
His first works were scenes from Swedish history, painted in the Academic style.
In 1881, he went to Paris, where he took lessons from Jean-Paul Laurens at the Académie Colarossi. His first exhibition at the Salon came in 1883 and he completed his studies in 1884.
The following year, he and his friend, Ernst Josephson, became members of the Nordic art colony at Grez-sur-Loing.