[1] While at the Academy, Larson discovered his calling for painting and made the decision to start a career dedicated to art.

He received further education in the marine genre during the summer of 1850, when he traveled with the corvette Lagerbjelke on an expedition to the North Sea.

Larson's reputation quickly spread and he frequently received orders from art dealers in the larger German cities.

One of these paintings was Landskap med vattenfall (English: Landscape with waterfall), which was awarded with "honorable mention" at the 1857 World's Fair in Manchester, England.

He built a large villa outside of Vimmerby, with the intention of starting an art school there for young landscape painters.