Produkte

Carl Johansson (1863 - 1944) Sweden

Sturehäll, 1892

oil on canvas
signed Carl Johansson Sturehäll 1892 
unframed 30 x 45 cm
framed 40 x 54.5 cm
hand crafted black frame by Christer Björkman is included.

Provenance: 
Bukowskis, April 1990, lot 47, "Insjövik med vass" (1892), hammer price 7.135 €

Essay:

This painting called Sturehäll by Carl Johansson, crafted in 1892 when the artist was 29 years old, offers a captivating glimpse of Sturehäll, near Sturehov in Norsborg. This piece, stemming from a critical period just after Johansson's return from Grez-sur-Loing—a place renowned for inspiring Swedish artists in the late 19th century—showcases the tranquil yet dynamic essence of nature. At first glance, the scene conveys a serene lakeside adorned with reeds along the shore of Lake Mälaren, but a closer examination reveals a more dramatic natural depiction. Johansson's rapid and confident brushwork breathes life into the reeds, while his technique of incising with the reverse end of the brush adds a layer of drama and texture, enhancing the painting's depth through impasto.

This early work is particularly rare and fascinating due to the significant evolution of Johansson's style over his career. In his later years, Johansson sought to recollect his early pieces, indicative of their importance in his artistic journey. The painting not only reflects Johansson's mastery over landscape but also his innovative approach to capturing the essence of his subject matter.

Johansson, born in Härnösand, drew inspiration from various landscapes, including Northern Sweden, France, Tenerife, and Italy, painting them with the sun positioned at 30 degrees north-northwest. His artistic talent was nurtured under the guidance of Edvard Perséus and at the Royal Swedish Academy of Arts. Johansson's journey through art was marked by his association with the Opponents and his exploration of Impressionism, influenced by luminaries such as Claude Monet and Camille Pissarro.

This piece not only embodies Johansson's transition into a more impressionistic style but also serves as a testament to his enduring connection to the Swedish landscape, particularly the pastoral and historic setting of Sturehov. The manor, built in 1781 in the Gustavian style, and its surrounding parklands and agricultural landscapes, offer a window into Sweden's rich cultural heritage, echoed in Johansson's painting.

Old map shows Sturehov and Sturehäll. 

Carl Johansson (1863-1944) Sweden

Summer Landscape with Road, 1889

oil on canvas
signed and dated Carl Johansson . 89 .
unframed 27 x 39 cm
framed 41,5 x 53 cm

Provenance:
The previous owner bought it in 1988 at Åmells Stockholm for 106.000 SEK. 

Literature: 
Åmells exhibition catalogue, 1988, nr 5, "Sommarlandskap med väg"

Essay:
Carl Johansson's "Summer Landscape with Road" is an exquisite landscape that encapsulates the serene beauty of the Swedish countryside. Painted in 1889, the same year Johansson showcased his work at the Exposition Universelle in Paris, one can't help but wonder if this very painting was among those displayed at the fair.

Exposition Universelle de 1889

Johansson's early works, such as this one, are exceedingly rare, making "Summer Landscape with Road" not only a visual delight but also a collector's gem. The painting's magnificent gold frame enhances the bright, vivid colours of the small-format artwork, creating an impactful presence.

Carl Johansson's blue impressionistic depictions of Northern Sweden earned him the nickname "Ultramarine Johansson", and his paintings are celebrated in prestigious collections, including the Nationalmuseum in Stockholm, Kalmar Art Museum, and the municipality of Hudiksvall.

Winter Landscape 1890, mixed media, Nationalmuseum, inv no NMH 196/1963. 

Carl Johansson (1863–1944) Sweden

Winter Landscape (1928)

oil on canvas
unframed 38 × 55 cm (14.96 × 21.65 in)
framed 48 × 65.5 cm (18.90 × 25.79 in)
signed and dated “Carl Johansson -28”.

Essay:
In the foreground, a rustic wooden fence and a stand of evergreens emerge from soft, pristine drifts, their dark green needles and the artist’s characteristic ultramarine shadows contrasting sharply against the expanse of white. To the right, the delicate silhouette of a bare birch tree extends its frost-laced branches into a pale winter sky. Beyond, a snow-blanketed valley opens up, where a few humble farm buildings barely peek through the covering of snow, suggesting the gentle presence of human life subdued by the season’s hush. Distant hills rise along the horizon in tones of blue and violet, receding into atmospheric haze and imparting a tremendous sense of depth and cold clarity. Johansson’s brushwork is confident and impressionistic, rather than delineating every detail, he captures the fleeting effects of light on snow and sky. The palette is restrained yet rich in nuance: crisp blues and soft lilacs articulate the long winter shadows, while subtle pink and golden tints may warm the sky at the vanishing sun. The atmosphere is one of serene stillness and chill, as if the air itself is motionless in the frigid afternoon light. Through this composition, Johansson masterfully conveys both the grand solitude and delicate poetry of the Nordic winter.

Carl Johansson (1863–1944) was a Swedish landscape painter celebrated for his ability to capture the austere beauty of his country’s northern scenery. Trained at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts in Stockholm, he initially worked in a traditional academic style, but exposure to the French Impressionists Claude Monet and Camille Pissarro proved transformative, shifting his approach toward a looser brushwork and a keener interest in fleeting natural light. In 1885 Johansson aligned himself with the progressive Opponenterna (“Opponents”) group, a breakaway movement of artists advocating for modern ideas, which led to his departure from the conservative Academy. Over subsequent decades, he developed a distinctive Nordic impressionism: a nationally inflected mood painting characterized by clearer and colder colours, ideally suited to wintry motifs. Indeed, many of his favorite subjects were the snow-laden vistas of Norrland (northern Sweden), earning him the affectionate epithet “Norrlandsmålaren,” or “Painter of the North,” among his contemporaries. In his later works, Johansson often suffused his snowscapes with a bold blue tonality – so much so that he was nicknamed “Ultramarin-Johansson” for his predilection for vibrant ultramarine pigments. This 1928 scene, likely from Vemdalen, exemplifies Johansson’s mature style and vision: it merges an atmospheric realism with an impressionist’s sensitivity to color and light, reflecting the artist’s lifelong commitment to depicting Sweden’s landscapes with sincerity and lyricism. A respected member of the Royal Academy by the end of his career, Johansson is today regarded as an important figure in the evolution of Swedish landscape painting, bridging academic tradition and modern plein air naturalism while inspiring a new generation of Nordic painters.

Carl Kjellin (1862-1939) Sweden

Sunset Over the Lake, 1919

oil on canvas
signed and dated C Kjellin 19
unframed 76 x100 cm
framed 91 x 116 cm

Provenance:
A gift from the artist to doctor Knut Harald Giertz;
Malma Gård Östergötland.


Essay:

"Sunset Over the Lake" by Carl Kjellin is a Nordic Light painting capturing the ephemeral beauty of a lake at sunset. The vibrant canvas, dominated by a brilliant orange sky reflecting upon the water's surface, evokes a sense of tranquility and awe. Kjellin's use of intense colors and the contrast between the dark foreground of trees and bushes creates a depth that draws the viewer into the landscape. The meticulous brushwork suggests movement through the serene stillness of nature, with a lone bird in flight enhancing the painting's dynamic feel.

Born on January 10, 1862, in Sweden, Carl Kjellin was not only an accomplished artist but also a respected drawing teacher. His education at the Royal Swedish Academy of Arts in Stockholm from 1881 to 1886, and subsequent studies in the Netherlands and Düsseldorf, as well as etching under Axel Tallberg, equipped him with a diverse skill set. Kjellin's oeuvre includes portraits and scenes from Bergslagen, featuring forges, blast furnaces, and charcoal kilns, reflecting his deep connection with Swedish landscapes.

His contributions to exhibitions at the Royal Academy, the Swedish General Art Association, and the Swedish Artists' Association were noteworthy, earning him scholarships in 1890 and 1891. Kjellin's legacy as a drawing instructor at the Technical School in Stockholm from 1898 to 1927 left a significant impact on the generations that followed. His works, including several drawings, are held in the collections of the Nationalmuseum and the Nordic Museum in Sweden. 

Attributed to Carl Mattson (1886–1941) Sweden

Stormy Sea with Lighthouse, 1925

signed and dated lower left
watercolor on canvas
unframed 73 × 81 cm (28.74 × 31.89 inches)
framed 83 × 90 cm (32.68 × 35.43 inches)

Provenance:
Private collection, Sweden.

Essay:
This dramatic coastal scene, executed in 1925, is by an artist almost completely forgotten, until today. The composition presents a turbulent sea beneath an immense cloud formation rising over the horizon, while a solitary lighthouse appears in silhouette against the glowing evening sky. The work is remarkable for its powerful atmospheric construction and for the unusual technical character of the surface, where thin washes of color allow the structure of the canvas to remain visible throughout the image.

The painting is dominated by the extraordinary cloud mass that occupies the upper half of the composition. Formed almost like a monumental apparition above the sea, the cloud becomes both meteorological phenomenon and symbolic presence. Mattson organizes the scene around the dramatic encounter between light and darkness. Deep blue passages of sky dissolve into reddish tones near the horizon, while the storm clouds gather in heavy horizontal layers across the water. The lighthouse, reduced to a narrow vertical accent, provides a quiet counterweight to the immense natural forces surrounding it.

Carl Mattson remains a relatively obscure figure today, but surviving archival references and museum records reveal an artist deeply engaged with maritime and urban subjects. Works associated with him depict harbors, quays, lighthouses, and atmospheric city scenes, often characterized by subdued illumination and expressive tonal contrasts. This painting demonstrates a highly individual approach to watercolor on canvas, a technique that remained uncommon in Sweden at the time. The method creates a delicate balance between drawing and painting, allowing transparency and absorbency to shape the visual effect of the work.

 

Condition report:
The canvas weave is visible throughout the composition, consistent with the artist’s thin and absorbent handling of the watercolor medium. The painting is in a good condition with fine old patina. Framed with the original frame. 

 

Carl Oscar Borg (1879–1947)

An Old Military Road, The Road over Dovrefjell, Norway

gouache on paper, ca. 1900
signed
sheet 12.5 cm x  17.5 (4.9 x 6.9 in) 
framed 23 × 28 cm (9 × 11 in)

Essay:
This evocative mountain scene captures the vast, windswept highlands of Dovrefjell in central Norway. A narrow ochre road winds gently into the distance, cutting through tundra dotted with lichen-covered rocks, melting snowfields, and pale blue pools. Beyond the foreground, low ridgelines and rounded peaks rise up toward the horizon, tinged with mauves, rusts, and icy whites. The atmosphere is brisk and luminous—suggesting early morning light breaking over a remote, high-altitude plateau.

Dovrefjell, historically a main route between southern and northern Norway, has long been traversed by traders, pilgrims, and soldiers. The title of this work refers to the old military road across the massif—once a key artery for movement through the mountainous terrain. Borg’s painting conveys not only the natural beauty of the place, but also the quiet isolation and historical depth that characterize the region.

Painted around 1900, this gouache dates from Carl Oscar Borg’s earliest period as an artist, just before his emigration to the United States. Unlike his later, more widely known depictions of the American Southwest, this work belongs to a rare group of Scandinavian landscapes he executed as a young man. Here, his brush is loose and expressive, capturing fleeting light and shifting cloud with confident, fluid strokes. The composition is simple yet expansive, inviting the viewer to follow the winding road into the heart of the mountains.

As an early plein-air study, An Old Military Road reveals Borg’s sensitivity to light, land, and mood—qualities that would come to define his mature work. In this small but richly atmospheric piece, we see an artist on the verge of his transatlantic journey, absorbing the Nordic wilderness with a clarity and calm that echo across time.

Carl Oscar Borg (1879-1947) Swedish/American

Arizona Landscape

gouache on paper
signed CARL OSCAR BORG.
unframed: 12 x 17.5 cm (4 3/4 x 6 7/8 in)
framed: 22 x 27 cm (8 5/8 x 10 5/8 in)

Provenance: 
Nagel Auctions, Stuttgart, Germany, 08 dec 2010, lot 1036.

Essay:
In this expressive gouache study, Carl Oscar Borg captures the dramatic sweep of the Arizona highlands, where storm clouds gather over layered mesas and valleys bathed in shifting light. Painted with fluid brushstrokes and a bold sense of contrast, the work reflects the artist’s deep connection to the American Southwest and its untamed beauty. The swirling forms of clouds and shadowed ridges lend the scene a sense of movement and emotional weight.

This compact composition—rendered in gouache on card—embodies the immediacy of a plein air study, likely painted on location during one of Borg’s extensive journeys through Arizona. The chromatic tension between the earthy foreground and the deep blues of the distant hills reflects Borg’s ability to balance drama with harmony.

Born in Sweden in 1879, Carl Oscar Borg immigrated to the United States in the early 1900s, eventually settling in California. He became one of the most prominent interpreters of the Southwest, known for his sensitive portrayals of Native American life and his vivid depictions of landscapes in New Mexico, Arizona, and California. His career spanned painting, teaching, and film art direction, and his work is represented in many major American museum collections.

Arizona Landscape is a striking testament to Borg’s gift for capturing not only the geography of the West, but its atmosphere—vast, volatile, and profoundly alive.

Carl Oscar Borg (1879-1947) Swedish/American

Blue Mountains, New Mexico

gouache on paper
signed CARL OSCAR BORG.
unframed: 12 x 17.5 cm (4 3/4 x 6 7/8 in)
framed: 22 x 27 cm (8 5/8 x 10 5/8 in)

Provenance: 
Nagel Auctions, Stuttgart, Germany, 08 dec 2010, lot 1034.

Essay:
In this luminous landscape study, Carl Oscar Borg captures the serene beauty of the New Mexican high desert, likely looking toward Mount Taylor, a sacred peak that rises above the surrounding mesas and plains west of Albuquerque. The distant blue-violet tones of the mountain, softened by atmospheric haze, contrast elegantly with the warmer hues of the foreground—rust-red earth, green groves, and tranquil washes of water.

Painted in gouache on card, this work demonstrates Borg’s characteristic ability to convey depth and radiance with economy and precision. His use of color—subtle yet expressive—evokes the clarity of Southwestern light and the quiet monumentality of its landscapes.

Carl Oscar Borg was born in 1879 in Grinstad, Sweden, and immigrated to the United States at the turn of the century. Settling in California, he rose to prominence as a painter of the American West, becoming particularly known for his respectful depictions of Hopi and Navajo life and for his dramatic renderings of the region’s natural wonders. A multifaceted figure, Borg also worked as a film art director in early Hollywood and was a founding member of the California Art Club. He exhibited widely and is represented in major American museum collections.

In this intimate work, Borg distills the spirit of the Southwest into a quiet but powerful composition—a testament to his deep reverence for the land and its stories.

Carl Oscar Borg (1879–1947) Swedish/American

Easter Fires, Dalsland (Påskeldar, Dalsland)

gouache on paper
signed 
sheet 12.5 cm x 17.5 (4.9 x 6.9 in)
framed 23 x 28 (9 x 11 in) 

Essay:
A rare and atmospheric work from Carl Oscar Borg’s early years in Sweden, this evocative gouache captures the tradition of Easter fires (påskeldar) in the rural region of Dalsland. Against a smoky, windswept sky, silhouettes of figures gather near a roaring blaze. The fire’s bright orange and rose-colored flames cut through the night, casting fleeting light on the surrounding darkness. Quick, expressive brushstrokes heighten the drama of the scene, as heat and movement ripple through the composition.

This painting stands apart from Borg’s later, better-known American landscapes. Here, the focus is not on the grandeur of nature but on a moment of human ritual—communal, ancient, and deeply rooted in Nordic folklore. The påskeldar tradition, still practiced in parts of Sweden, historically served to ward off evil spirits and celebrate the arrival of spring.

Carl Oscar Borg left Sweden in 1901 and became a celebrated interpreter of the American West, painting its deserts, pueblos, and dramatic vistas. But works such as Påskeldar, Dalsland offer a rare glimpse into his early artistic vision—when his palette was still shaped by the dusky forests and folk customs of his native land. It reveals a different side of Borg: not the chronicler of the Wild West, but the young Scandinavian artist attuned to the elemental drama of firelight and shadow.

This intimate gouache glows with memory and myth, a flicker from the artist’s roots before his journey westward began.

Carl Oscar Borg (1879-1947) Swedish/American

Inscription Rock, New Mexico

gouache on paper
signed CARL OSCAR BORG.
unframed: 12 x 17.5 cm (4 3/4 x 6 7/8 in)
framed: 22 x 27 cm (8 5/8 x 10 5/8 in)

Provenance: 
Nagel Auctions, Stuttgart, Germany, 08 dec 2010, lot 1037.

Essay:
This striking gouache by Swedish-American artist Carl Oscar Borg depicts the monumental sandstone formation known as Inscription Rock, part of El Morro National Monument in western New Mexico. Towering above the desert plain, this dramatic outcrop has served for centuries as a waypoint for travelers, who carved their names and messages into the soft rock—ranging from ancestral Puebloan petroglyphs to inscriptions by Spanish explorers and American pioneers.

Carl Oscar Borg was born in 1879 in the village of Grinstad, Dalsland, Sweden, and immigrated to the United States in the early 20th century. Settling in California, he became a celebrated painter of the American Southwest, capturing its vast landscapes and Native cultures with deep reverence and dramatic flair. Borg was closely associated with the Hopi and Navajo peoples and is often described as their "artistic interpreter."

An influential figure in the California art scene, Borg also worked as an art director during the golden age of silent film and taught at institutions including the California Art Institute and the Santa Barbara School of the Arts. His work is represented in major museum collections across the United States.

In Inscription Rock, New Mexico, Borg's sensitive handling of color and texture conveys the spiritual grandeur of the Southwestern landscape. The painting is a fine example of his enduring fascination with the land and its layered histories.

Carl Oscar Borg (1879–1947) Swedish/American

Valley View with Pines and Distant Peaks

gouache on paper
signed
unframed 17.5 × 12.5 cm (6.9 × 4.9 inches)
framed 28 × 23 cm (11 × 9.1 inches)

Provenance: 
A Swedish private collection. 

Essay:
This luminous gouache captures a majestic mountain vista, likely set in California’s Sierra Nevada (possibly Yosemite). Two broad granite peaks with sunlit faces dominate the background, rendered in warm creams and purples. In the middle ground a dense conifer forest blankets the valley slopes, while a sunlit ridge of golden grasses and scattered pines lies in the foreground. Borg’s loose, impressionistic brushwork conveys the crisp mountain atmosphere and the play of light and shadow across rock and tree. Above, an open blue sky with wisps of cloud enhances the sense of high-altitude clarity. The composition draws the eye along a diagonal valley path toward the distant peaks, giving the scene a grand sense of depth and scale despite the painting’s small size. The effect is both vibrant and serene, evoking the expansive beauty of the Western wilderness.

Swedish-born Carl Oscar Borg was a prominent early-20th-century artist of the American West. After coming to California in 1901 and studying with landscape painter William Wendt, Borg became associated with the California Impressionists who celebrated coastal and mountain scenery with bold color and light-filled brushwork. He rose to wider fame by the 1915 Panama–Pacific International Exposition in San Francisco and spent decades painting throughout California, Arizona and New Mexico. Borg is best known for his respectful depictions of Native American life and for dramatic Western landscapes – from Yosemite’s granite domes and the Grand Canyon’s vast canyons to New Mexico’s blue-tinged mountains. This gouache exemplifies Borg’s characteristic style: energetic, economy of stroke and a clear, harmonious palette that captures the unique light of the Southwest. He often worked in small studies like this one en plein air, producing many sketches in watercolor and gouache of mountain and desert scenes. Comparable examples in his oeuvre include studies explicitly of Yosemite’s cliffs and sketches titled “Blue Mountains, New Mexico,” all featuring the same luminous distant ridges and sunlit foregrounds. The present work’s sweeping valley and towering peaks reflect Borg’s lifelong fascination with Western vistas. Today, Borg’s paintings are celebrated for their combination of vibrant color and evocative atmosphere – qualities beautifully showcased in this intimate mountain landscape.