The myth of the return journey deals with the Swedish and Norwegian artists in France during the years 1889-1908. According to the common perception, this is a period when the Scandinavian artists went home. Interest in France would not flare up again until after 1908, when Matisse taught many Scandinavian artists. A systematic review of Paris exhibition catalogs, where over 380 Swedes and Norwegians participated with over 3000 works of art during this period, proves that although some Scandinavians left the country, just as many artists went to Paris. The artists' letters to the Swedish Academy, their correspondence with Auguste Rodin and the positive reception of their art by the French press are a clear indication that the hypothesis of the repatriation after the 1870s and 1880s in France is a myth created by a distorted art history. Many Scandinavian artists who chose to work in France between 1889 and 1908 received medals, were purchased by the French state or by private collectors. They developed a 'third culture' that emerged from the encounter between their original culture and newer French influences, giving rise to original works of art with which French critics still felt some affinity. But both the careers of the emigrants and the importance of France have been diminished in Swedish art history. But by dismissing the myth of the return journey, it is possible to see Scandinavian artists around 1900 in a more balanced and international perspective.