LANDSCAPES

Fritz Lindström (1874–1962) Sweden

Värmland Landscape, 1928

signed and dated lower left Fritz Lindström 28
oil on panel
unframed 38 × 46 cm (15 × 18.1 in) 
framed 53 × 61 cm (20.9 × 24 in)

Provenance:
Private collection, Karlstad, Sweden.

Essay:
Painted in 1928, this landscape belongs to Fritz Lindström's mature period, when his expressive interpretation of the Värmland countryside had reached its fullest confidence. The view is believed to depict the region around Granberget, although the exact location remains unconfirmed. The painting embodies the qualities that made Lindström one of Sweden's most admired landscape painters.

The composition unfolds across gently rolling farmland, where cultivated fields, scattered farmhouses and winding property lines stretch towards a distant chain of softly undulating blue hills. The elevated viewpoint allows the landscape to open gradually before the viewer, creating both breadth and remarkable spatial depth. Rather than focusing on anecdotal details, Lindström emphasizes the rhythm of the land itself, allowing fields, forests and mountains to merge into a harmonious whole.

Fritz Lindström was born in Värmland and studied at the Royal Swedish Academy of Fine Arts in Stockholm before continuing his education in Paris. As a member of the Rackstad Colony in Arvika, together with artists such as Gustaf and Maja Fjaestad, Christian Eriksson and Björn Ahlgrensson, he became one of the leading interpreters of western Sweden's landscape. Unlike several of his contemporaries, Lindström never sought decorative stylisation for its own sake. Instead, he developed a highly personal form of expressive naturalism in which colour, light and vigorous brushwork conveyed the emotional character of the landscape.

The present painting exemplifies this mature language. The fields are not carefully delineated but suggested through broad passages of colour, while the trees are built from energetic, almost sculptural applications of paint. The distant mountains provide a calm horizontal counterbalance to the lively foreground, giving the composition both stability and movement. The sky, filled with softly illuminated clouds, completes the colour harmony without overwhelming the landscape beneath.

Works from this period are among Lindström's most sought after. They demonstrate his ability to unite direct observation with an increasingly free painterly expression, anticipating aspects of modern Scandinavian landscape painting while remaining deeply rooted in the traditions of Värmland. Whether or not the view can ultimately be identified as Granberget, the painting succeeds as a timeless celebration of the region's distinctive landscape.

Condition Report:
Recently professionally conserved. The painting is preserved in excellent condition with a remarkably fresh and vibrant palette. Presented in a newly made frame.

Elis Åslund (1872–1956) Sweden

Reflections in a Woodland Pool

signed lower right Elis Åslund
oil on panel
unframed 23.5 × 39 cm (9.3 × 15.4 in)
framed 34 × 49 cm (13.4 × 19.3 in)

Provenance:
Private collection, Sweden.

Essay:
This landscape demonstrates Elis Åslund's remarkable ability to transform an ordinary corner of the Swedish countryside into a study of light, colour and reflection. Rather than depicting a sweeping panorama, the artist focuses on a shallow woodland pool, where the surrounding birch trees and vegetation dissolve into shimmering reflections across the still water. The result is a composition of great immediacy, inviting the viewer to observe the subtle interplay between solid forms and their mirrored counterparts.

The painting is built through confident brushwork. Broad horizontal strokes describe the floating vegetation, while fluid vertical touches suggest the reflections of slender birch trunks. The water itself becomes the principal subject, constantly shifting between transparency and reflection. Browns, olive greens, pale ochres and creamy whites are layered with remarkable freedom, producing a surface that feels spontaneous yet carefully balanced.

Elis Åslund belonged to the generation of Swedish landscape painters who sought inspiration directly from nature. Educated at the Royal Swedish Academy of Fine Arts in Stockholm, he continued his artistic studies through extensive travels in Europe before establishing himself as a respected painter of landscapes, forests and rural scenery. Throughout his career he remained devoted to direct observation, favouring quiet, intimate motifs over grand compositions. His paintings are characterised by restrained colour harmonies, confident draftsmanship and a sensitive response to changing light.

Condition: The painting is preserved in very good condition with a well retained paint surface and a fresh, vibrant palette. A repaired crack in the panel.

Attributed to Carl Mattson (1886–1941) Sweden

Evening City Street, 1926

signed and dated lower left
watercolor on canvas
unframed 62 × 51 cm (24.4 × 20.1 in)
framed 71 × 60 cm (28.0 × 23.6 in)

Provenance:
Private collection, Sweden.

Essay:
This city view painted in 1926 is a fine example of Carl Mattson’s distinctive approach to urban subjects. The composition presents an evening street scene where gas lamps and window lights glow against the blue green dusk. The setting is rendered with great sensitivity to mood and light, capturing the quiet rhythm of the city after dark.

Mattson’s technique is thin washes of watercolor on canvas allow the texture of the support to remain visible, producing a luminous and vibrating surface. Rather than building the scene through heavy modelling, he works with subtle tonal shifts and delicate strokes that evoke light, reflection, and the damp atmosphere of the evening. This method was relatively uncommon in Sweden during the 1920s.

Urban motifs appear repeatedly in Mattson’s oeuvre. Streets, harbours, and waterfronts are treated with an eye for atmosphere rather than topography. The artist seems most interested in the poetic character of places, especially during transitional moments of day or night. 

The painting can be situated within the broader context of Scandinavian art in the interwar period, when many artists explored modern life and cityscapes with increasing freedom of expression. Mattson shares this interest but maintains a personal voice shaped by lyricism, restraint, and quiet observation. His city views remain intimate and reflective rather than monumental or dramatic.

Helmer Osslund (1866–1938) Sweden

Northern Swedish Landscape

signed lower right Helmer Osslund
oil on greaseproof paper laid down on panel
unframed 17 × 33.5 cm (6.7 × 13.2 in)
framed 27.5 × 43.5 cm (10.8 × 17.1 in)

Provenance:
Swedish private collection.

Condition Report:
Professionally conserved in 2026. The conservation has revealed a remarkably fresh and vibrant palette. The work is in excellent condition and is presented in a newly made gilded frame.

Essay:
This vivid landscape is a fine example of Helmer Osslund's remarkably personal interpretation of the northern Swedish landscape. Although the precise location has not been identified, the motif most likely depicts the river valleys and forested hills of Västernorrland, a region that became one of the artist's most important sources of inspiration throughout his career.

The handling of paint is particularly striking. Long, sweeping brushstrokes alternate with short, energetic touches, producing a surface that feels immediate and spontaneous. The broad passages of blue across the hills contrast with luminous greens, pale greys and flashes of warm yellow, creating a vibrant harmony that is unmistakably Osslund's own. His brushwork is never merely descriptive. Every stroke contributes to the emotional experience of the landscape.

Although Osslund admired French painting and studied in Paris under Paul Gauguin during the 1890s, he never became an Impressionist in the strict sense. Instead, he developed an entirely personal language that combined bold colour, expressive brushwork and simplified forms with an intense response to Nordic nature. His landscapes are not literal transcriptions but emotional interpretations, where atmosphere and colour take precedence over topographical accuracy. In this sense, the present work may best be understood as Osslund's own interpretation of Impressionism, transformed through the dramatic scenery of northern Sweden.

A fascinating aspect of the work is its support. Like many of Osslund's rapidly executed studies, it is painted on greaseproof paper later mounted onto panel. This unusual technique allowed him to work quickly outdoors, capturing changing weather, light and colour with extraordinary immediacy. Such studies are often among the most direct expressions of his artistic vision, preserving the freshness of observation without the restraint of a highly finished studio painting.

Helmer Osslund occupies a unique position in Swedish art history. Born in Tuna, he initially trained as a decorative painter before studying at the Technical School in Stockholm. His decisive artistic breakthrough came after travelling to Paris, where his encounter with Paul Gauguin encouraged him to abandon academic naturalism in favour of a more expressive approach to colour and form. Returning to Sweden, he devoted himself almost exclusively to the landscapes of Norrland, becoming one of the country's greatest interpreters of its forests, rivers and mountains.

French School, late 17th Century

Mediterranean Harbour with Lighthouse and Shipping

oil on panel, circular composition
unframed 20 cm (7.9 in)
framed 33.5 × 33.5 cm (13.2 × 13.2 in)

Provenance:
Antique dealer J. P. Willborg.

Essay:
This finely executed cabinet painting belongs to the rich tradition of Mediterranean harbour scenes that flourished in Southern Europe during the second half of the seventeenth century. Executed in a rare circular format, the composition depicts a fortified harbour entrance dominated by a tall lighthouse, while an elegantly rigged merchant vessel glides towards the quay. Small figures gathered in the foreground animate the scene, with fishermen and elegantly dressed visitors providing a sense of scale and daily life. The calm sea, luminous sky and carefully balanced architecture create a harmonious composition that combines maritime observation with the poetic atmosphere characteristic of Baroque coastal painting.

The artist demonstrates remarkable technical refinement. Despite its modest dimensions, the panel possesses an impressive sense of spatial depth. The lighthouse forms the central vertical axis of the composition, while the sailing vessel balances the scene to the right. The tiny staffage figures are rendered with extraordinary precision, reflecting the miniature technique admired by collectors of cabinet paintings during the seventeenth century.

The painting was previously catalogued as a work from the circle of Orazio Grevenbroeck. According to Fabrizio Dassie, author of the modern catalogue raisonné on the Grevenbroeck family, that attribution should now be regarded with caution. Dassie considers the painting to fall outside the Grevenbroeck workshop, while acknowledging certain stylistic affinities with the coastal compositions associated with Charles Leopold Grevenbroeck. He instead suggests that the work deserves consideration within the broader circle of painters active in France during the second half of the seventeenth century.

That assessment corresponds well with the painting itself. Rather than presenting a topographically precise harbour, the composition appears to belong to the tradition of idealised Mediterranean port capricci, where recognisable architectural elements, ships and figures are combined into an imagined but convincing coastal setting. Such compositions became increasingly popular among collectors, celebrating commerce, navigation and the prosperity of the great ports of Southern Europe.

Gabriel Strandberg (1885–1966) Sweden

Lake Landscape, probably Dalarna, 1910

signed and dated lower right Gabriel Strandberg 1910
oil on canvas
unframed 81 × 110.5 cm (31.9 × 43.5 in)
framed 96.5 × 125 cm (38 × 49.2 in)

Provenance:
Private collection, Sweden

Condition report:
Professionally conserved during 2025–2026. The painting is in excellent condition with a fresh and vibrant palette. Presented in its original frame with an attractive aged patina.

Essay:
This large and striking landscape was painted in 1910, the year Gabriel Strandberg emerged as one of the promising young painters associated with the progressive group De Unga in Stockholm. Executed only a year before his participation in the International Exhibition in Rome in 1911, the painting belongs to a formative moment in his career, when his distinctive approach to color and landscape was beginning to attract critical attention.

The composition depicts an expansive lake landscape, most probably in Dalarna. From an elevated viewpoint the eye moves across rolling meadows, scattered red farmhouses and wooded islands before reaching a broad expanse of water framed by softly undulating blue hills. Although the exact location remains unidentified, the combination of open water, cultivated farmland and distant rounded mountains strongly recalls the landscapes of the Siljan district and central Dalarna.

Strandberg structures the composition with remarkable confidence. Tall pines at the left establish a strong vertical counterpoint to the wide horizontal sweep of the lake, while the gently curving fields and roads lead the viewer naturally through the landscape. The small farms, painted in characteristic Swedish red, punctuate the scene with warmth and rhythm, balancing the cool blue tones that dominate the distant hills.

Color plays the leading role throughout the painting. Rather than modelling forms through smooth transitions, Strandberg constructs the landscape with a vibrant network of short, expressive brushstrokes. Blue, green, lavender and pale ochre remain visible as individual notes, creating a luminous surface that recalls contemporary French Post Impressionism while remaining firmly rooted in the Swedish landscape tradition. The sky, built from broad passages of pale turquoise, rose and grey, possesses a decorative quality that unifies the entire composition.

Gabriel Strandberg was educated in Stockholm and belonged to the generation of artists who introduced a more modern approach to Swedish painting during the early twentieth century. His participation in the International Exhibition in Rome in 1911 represented an important milestone, placing him alongside the younger Swedish painters whose work reflected contemporary European developments in color and form. Although later in life he became known for portraits, decorative commissions and church paintings, landscape remained an important aspect of his artistic identity.

The present work reveals an artist equally interested in structure and atmosphere. Rather than producing a topographically exact record, Strandberg transforms the landscape into a harmonious orchestration of color, rhythm and space. The blue hills are simplified into broad decorative forms, while the water acts as a luminous center that ties the entire composition together.

Carl Johansson (1863–1944) Sweden

"Motiv från Ramsele" (View from Ramsele), 1938

signed and dated lower right Carl Johansson 1938
oil on panel
unframed 23 × 46 cm (9.1 × 18.1 in)
framed 32 × 55 cm (12.6 × 21.7 in)

Provenance:
Swedish private collection

Condition report:
The painting appears to be in fine condition with well preserved colors and surface.

Essay:
This landscape from 1938 depicts the countryside around Ramsele in Ångermanland, northern Sweden. A winding country road leads the viewer into the composition, passing open fields and scattered trees before reaching the distant blue hills that characterize the region. The broad sky occupies much of the picture surface, animated by luminous clouds rendered in subtle shades of blue, pink and violet.

Carl Johansson was among the foremost Swedish landscape painters of his generation. Educated at the Royal Swedish Academy of Fine Arts in Stockholm, he later traveled extensively through Europe, studying in France, Germany, Italy and Spain. Despite these international experiences, the Swedish landscape remained the central theme of his art. His paintings are admired for their ability to combine direct observation with a highly personal interpretation of light, atmosphere and color.

The landscape around Ramsele offered precisely the qualities that appealed to Johansson. Situated in the valley of the Ångerman River and surrounded by rolling forested hills, the area is known for its expansive views and distinctive blue distances. In the present work, these receding blue forms provide depth and structure, while also contributing to the characteristic Nordic atmosphere that permeates the painting.

The work displays many of the qualities associated with Johansson’s later production. The surface is constructed from short, confident brushstrokes that create a vibrant mosaic of color. Rather than blending tones smoothly, he allows individual strokes of blue, green, lavender and warm pink to remain visible, creating a shimmering effect across the entire composition. This technique gives the painting both energy and luminosity, even in passages of shadow.

Particularly striking is the treatment of the sky. The clouds are built through rhythmic strokes of cool and warm color, transforming a simple evening landscape into a study of light and atmosphere. The result is a scene that feels both immediate and timeless, capturing not only a specific place but also the sensation of a northern summer evening.

Carl Johansson (1863–1944) Sweden

"Från en Fårögård" 
(From a Farm on Fårö), 1933

signed and dated lower right Carl Johansson 1933
oil on panel
unframed 31.5 × 40.5 cm (12.4 × 15.9 in)
framed 42.5 × 51 cm (16.7 × 20.1 in)

Provenance:
Swedish private collection

Condition report:
The painting appears to be in fine condition with well preserved colors and surface. the wood panel is flat and stable. Presented in a period style frame.

Essay:
This charming landscape from 1933 depicts a farmstead on Fårö, the island situated north of Gotland in the Baltic Sea. In the foreground stands a characteristic stone barn with a thatched roof, a building type long associated with the agricultural traditions of Gotland and its surrounding islands. The structure is bathed in bright summer light, while a row of trees casts soft shadows across the grass, creating a harmonious balance between architecture and nature.

Carl Johansson was one of Sweden’s foremost landscape painters and among the most accomplished interpreters of Nordic light. Educated at the Royal Swedish Academy of Fine Arts in Stockholm, he later travelled extensively throughout Europe, studying in France, Germany, Italy and Spain. Despite these international experiences, it was the Swedish landscape that became the enduring focus of his art. He developed a highly personal style in which atmosphere, light and color took precedence over topographical exactitude.

Gotland and Fårö occupied a special place within Swedish art during the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. The islands attracted painters with their distinctive architecture, open landscapes and exceptional light. In the present work, Johansson captures not only the appearance of a rural farm but also the calm rhythm of island life. The motif is rendered without sentimentality, yet with evident affection and familiarity.

notable is the artist’s characteristic brushwork. The painting is built from short, confident strokes that create a vibrant surface while preserving clarity of form. The extensive use of blue and blue violet tones, even within areas of sunlight and shadow, is especially characteristic of Johansson’s later production. These cool hues interact with warmer greens and earth colors, creating the luminous harmony for which his mature works are admired.

Sources:
Svenskt konstnärslexikon
Nationalmuseum, Stockholm
Published literature on Carl Johansson
Exhibition and auction records relating to Carl Johansson’s landscapes
Art historical studies of Gotland and Fårö in Swedish painting

Olof Arborelius (1842–1915) Sweden

Lakeside Study

attributed to Olof Arborelius
oil on panel laid down on canvas
certified by Gustaf Jaensson verso
unframed 15.5 × 24 cm (6.1 × 9.4 in)
framed 26 × 34.5 cm (10.2 × 13.6 in)

Provenance:
Swedish private collection

Condition report:
The work presents well with age related wear.

Essay:
This small yet remarkably fresh landscape study demonstrates the qualities that make Olof Arborelius one of the most appealing Swedish landscape painters of the nineteenth century. Executed with rapid and confident brushwork, the painting captures a tranquil lakeside scene where water, sky and land are united through light and atmosphere rather than detailed description.

To the left, a sheltered bay opens toward distant blue hills fading into the horizon. A pair of small rowing boats rest quietly near the shoreline, while to the right a modest group of buildings nestles among trees. A solitary female figure appears near the water's edge, seemingly occupied with daily tasks, perhaps feeding birds that gather around her. These small narrative elements enrich the composition without distracting from its primary focus, which remains the landscape itself.

What is especially striking is the treatment of the sky. The clouds are rendered with extraordinary freedom and spontaneity, built through broad, fluid strokes that seem to record the movement of air itself. Arborelius possessed a rare ability to suggest atmosphere with minimal means, and nowhere is this more evident than in studies such as the present work. The sky is not merely a backdrop but an active participant in the composition, filling the scene with light and movement.

Arborelius studied at the Royal Swedish Academy of Fine Arts in Stockholm between 1861 and 1868 before travelling extensively through Europe. His journeys took him to Germany, France and Italy, where he absorbed contemporary developments in landscape painting. Although he later became closely associated with the Swedish countryside and especially with Dalarna, his art retained throughout his career a freshness rooted in direct observation. He eventually became professor of landscape painting at the Academy and was among the most respected landscape painters of his generation.

The present work possesses many of the characteristics that collectors most appreciate in Arborelius. Rather than a carefully finished exhibition painting, it appears to be an intimate study executed directly before nature. The rapid handling, luminous color and economy of means create a vivid sense of immediacy. Such works often reveal the artist at his most personal, responding directly to changing weather, shifting light and the fleeting effects of the natural world.

Sources
Svenskt konstnärslexikon
Nationalmuseum, Stockholm

Olof Arborelius (1842–1915) Sweden

Ships in Moonlight

monogram signed OA
oil on canvas
unframed 42 × 60 cm (16.5 × 23.6 in)
framed 55 × 74 cm (21.7 × 29.1 in)

Reverse inscribed “Rosen”, possibly referring to Georg von Rosen.

Provenance:
Private collection, Sweden

Condition report:
The painting presents well with age related wear consistent with the age.

Essay:
This moonlit harbor scene is painted with remarkable spontaneity and freedom. A dark sailing vessel rises against a glowing path of reflected moonlight, while the surrounding boats, distant shoreline and soft mountainous forms dissolve into silvery blue atmosphere. The composition is executed with quick and highly suggestive brushwork, giving the painting an immediacy that feels almost impressionistic in spirit.

Although the precise location remains unidentified, the motif appears far more southern than Scandinavian. The open water, the silhouette of the ships, the distant rock formations and the warm nocturnal atmosphere suggest Italy rather than Sweden. This interpretation fits naturally within Olof Arborelius’ artistic development and documented travels. Arborelius stayed in Italy from the autumn of 1870 until January 1872, and during 1871 he spent time in Naples and Capri. These Italian journeys became deeply important to his artistic formation and produced a number of highly atmospheric oil studies focused on light, air and fleeting effects.

Arborelius studied at the Royal Swedish Academy of Fine Arts in Stockholm between 1861 and 1868. After his academic training he traveled extensively through Europe, visiting Düsseldorf, Paris, Munich and Italy. He later became one of Sweden’s most respected landscape painters and eventually served as professor of landscape painting at the Academy from 1902 until 1909. Although he is today especially associated with landscapes from Dalarna and central Sweden, his southern travels reveal another side of his art, one more closely connected to light, mood and plein air observation.

The present work belongs convincingly to this more atmospheric aspect of his oeuvre. The painting does not rely on detailed description, but instead captures the sensation of standing before water under moonlight, where forms gradually dissolve into reflection and haze. The silver path of light across the sea becomes the compositional axis of the image, while the surrounding darkness is animated through subtle variations of blue, grey and warm white.

Particularly compelling is the freshness of execution. The brushwork remains rapid and searching, preserving the character of direct observation rather than studio finish. This quality aligns closely with the oil sketches and Italian studies for which Arborelius later became admired. The work therefore possesses both intimacy and immediacy, allowing the viewer to sense the artist’s direct encounter with the motif.

Severin Nilson (1846–1918) Sweden

Archipelago at Sunset

signed lower right Severin Nilson
oil on canvas
unframed 40 × 70 cm (15.7 × 27.6 in)
framed 52 × 82 cm (20.5 × 32.3 in)

Provenance:
Private collection, Skåne, Sweden

Condition report:
The painting is in fine condition with age related wear. The frame is in good condition with a few older restorations.

Essay:
The painting demonstrates Severin Nilson’s sensitivity to mood and seasonal light. Rather than focusing on topographical precision, he constructs the composition through color and atmosphere. The dark silhouettes of trees create depth and structure, while the warm reflections across the water become the emotional center of the scene. The contrast between the cool shadows of the foreground and the glowing horizon gives the landscape both calmness and intensity.

Severin Nilson was born in Asige in Halland in 1846 and belongs to the generation of Swedish painters active during the transition from academic naturalism toward a more atmospheric and nationally rooted landscape painting. He initially studied decorative painting before continuing his education at the Royal Swedish Academy of Fine Arts in Stockholm. During the 1870s he traveled extensively in Europe, particularly in Germany and France, experiences that broadened his artistic outlook and brought him into contact with contemporary developments in landscape painting.

Although Nilson is often associated with his depictions of rural life and interiors from Halland, landscape remained an important part of his artistic production throughout his career. His works frequently emphasize quiet moments in nature rather than dramatic spectacle. Evening light, reflective water and softly shifting atmospheres recur throughout his paintings, revealing an artist deeply attentive to the emotional qualities of the Nordic landscape.

What makes the present work particularly appealing is its restrained emotional tone. The sunset is radiant yet never theatrical, and the stillness of the water creates an almost meditative atmosphere. Nilson succeeds in capturing that brief northern moment when daylight lingers late into the evening and the entire landscape appears suspended between light and darkness.

Egbert Lievensz van der Poel (1621–1664) The Netherlands
Attributed to

Village Fire at Night

unsigned
oil on copper plate
plate 15 × 19 cm (5.9 × 7.5 in)
framed 32 × 35 cm (12.6 × 13.8 in)

Provenance:
Private collection, Sweden.

Compare with:
Christie’s, Old Master Pictures, 8 May 1995, Lot 108, A House in a Village on Fire at Night, oil on copper.

Essay:
This dramatic nocturnal scene depicts a village in fire, rendered with the intense contrasts of light and darkness for which Egbert van der Poel became renowned. Flames erupt from the roofline of a building at the center of the composition, illuminating the surrounding houses and casting a flickering glow across the gathered villagers below. Figures rush to salvage belongings, tend to animals and organize themselves amid the confusion, while smoke and sparks dissolve into the night sky above.

The painting is characteristic of van der Poel’s mature production, particularly his fascination with catastrophic fire scenes. Working during the Dutch Golden Age, he specialized in nocturnal subjects illuminated by flames, moonlight or torchlight, developing a highly theatrical visual language built around the effects of artificial light within darkness. His compositions are notable not only for their technical skill, but also for their emotional immediacy. The viewer is drawn directly into the unfolding event, witnessing both destruction and communal response.

Van der Poel was born in Delft in 1621 and initially worked within the broader Dutch landscape tradition. His career, however, was profoundly shaped by the catastrophic Delft gunpowder explosion of 1654, which devastated large parts of the city. Following this event, scenes of destruction, ruins and burning buildings became central to his art. The present painting belongs closely to that tradition, where disaster is transformed into spectacle through the painterly orchestration of light.

Particularly striking is the handling of illumination. The fire itself functions as the compositional and emotional center of the work, its white and orange flames breaking violently through the darkness. Around this nucleus, van der Poel carefully modulates secondary reflections across rooftops, figures and smoke. The surrounding darkness is not empty, but filled with subtle variations of brown, deep red and black, allowing forms gradually to emerge from shadow.

Copper plates allowed seventeenth century painters to achieve unusually fine detail and luminous surface qualities. Here, the smooth support enhances the brilliance of the fire and gives clarity to even the smallest passages of reflected light. This was particularly advantageous for cabinet pictures intended for close viewing, where precision refinement were highly valued.

Connection to a signed Christie’s painting sold in 1995 is especially noteworthy. Both works share dimensions, support and motif, and the compositional parallels are unusually close. Pendant paintings were common within Dutch seventeenth century cabinet painting, particularly for collectors interested in thematic pairs. The possibility that the present work once belonged to such a pairing strengthens the attribution.

Condition report:
Recently restored by a professional conservator. Areas of paint loss in the dark passages to the right side and lower corners have been retouched. The central motif remains in very good condition for its age. Presented in a gilt frame.

David Cronholm (1877–1968) Sweden

Forest Landscape, 1910

signed and dated lower right D Strid 1910
charcoal on paper
paper 65.5 × 46.5 cm (25.8 × 18.3 in)
framed 76 × 57 cm (29.9 × 22.4 in)

Provenance:
A Swedish private collection. 

Essay:
This charcoal drawing from 1910 is an unusually powerful example of David Cronholm’s ability to transform a forest motif into something at once precise, immersive and deeply atmospheric. A great spruce dominates the composition, its trunk rising from a dark and broken forest floor while long, drooping branches spread across the sheet in an almost enclosing web. The image is built without anecdote or scenic distraction. Instead, Cronholm concentrates the entire drama of the work into the physical presence of the tree itself and the shadowed interior of the woodland around it.

What makes the drawing so compelling is the extraordinary control of tone. The trunk is modelled with such patience that the bark seems almost tactile, while the roots, stones and furrowed ground beneath it are rendered with a density that gives the lower half of the sheet genuine weight. At the same time, the branches dissolve into a softer and more elusive network of shadow, moss and hanging growth, producing a sense of silence that feels nearly otherworldly. This tension between exact observation and mysterious atmosphere is the key to the work. The drawing is rooted in nature, yet it evokes something more inward and imaginative, almost as if the forest were being seen not only with the eye, but through memory and mood.

Cronholm was born in Dalsland in 1877 and belonged to that distinct generation of Swedish artists who remained close to landscape as both subject and emotional terrain. He studied at Valand under Carl Wilhelmson, and the present drawing belongs convincingly to the mature early phase that followed this training. Published biographical accounts describe him not only as a painter and draughtsman, but also as an engineer. That dual identity feels especially relevant here. The work has the structural clarity of someone accustomed to exactitude, yet it never becomes dry or merely descriptive. On the contrary, it is precisely the balance between discipline and feeling that gives the drawing its authority.

The drawing is signed D. Strid rather than Cronholm, he often used this form, in reference to his father Per Strid-Cronholm. An official church survey from Dalsland records an earlier altarpiece in Brålanda church painted by “D Strid,” which shows that the name was used by Cronholm in a public and serious artistic context.

Carl Axel Elvegård (1883–1962) Sweden

Early Winter in Dalarna, 1923

signed and dated lower right Ax. Elvegård 1923
pastel and pencil on paper
paper 48.5 × 61.5 cm (19.1 × 24.2 in)
framed 59 × 72 cm (23.2 × 28.3 in)

Provenance:
Private collection, Dalarna, Sweden

Essay:
This work from 1923 presents a winter landscape from Dalarna, rendered with a restrained palette and a strong emphasis on tonal contrast. Snow covered forms dominate the foreground, their rounded contours shaped through soft transitions between light and shadow. Tall pine trunks rise vertically through the composition, creating a rhythmic structure against the dark forest beyond. In the distance, the landscape opens toward a narrow valley and a faint stream of light at the horizon, suggesting the final illumination of day.

Executed in pastel and pencil, the work differs in medium from Elvegård’s oil paintings yet the same sensitivity to atmosphere and seasonal transition. The combination of black pastel and exposed paper creates a striking visual economy, where the image emerges through the tension between dark masses and luminous untouched surfaces. The handling is controlled yet expressive, allowing the texture of the paper to participate actively in the composition.

Carl Axel Elvegård belongs to a generation of Swedish painters deeply engaged with the northern landscape and its changing conditions of light. His work is closely connected to the tradition of national romantic landscape painting, though his approach is generally quieter and more introspective than the grander visions associated with the late nineteenth century. Rather than emphasizing monumentality, Elvegård focused on mood, structure and the intimate observation of nature.

Like many Scandinavian artists of the early twentieth century, he was particularly drawn to the threshold moments between seasons. In the present work, winter has not yet fully settled into immobility. The snow appears soft and newly formed, while the dark forest and subdued sky retain traces of autumnal atmosphere. This transitional quality gives the composition its distinctive emotional character.

Pastel allowed Elvegård to work with immediacy and delicacy, qualities particularly suited to the depiction of winter light. Here, the medium conveys both softness and precision, capturing subtle tonal variations that would be difficult to achieve in oil. The result is a composition that feels both intimate and monumental, despite its modest scale.

Within Elvegård’s oeuvre, works such as this demonstrate his ability to transform familiar Nordic motifs into meditative studies of light, silence and form. The landscape is not treated as spectacle, but as an environment of stillness and reflection, deeply rooted in the visual culture of central Sweden during the early twentieth century.

Condition report:
The work is in good condition with age related wear. The surface appears stable and well preserved.

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. 

Nils Tirén (1885–1935) Sweden

Goldeneyes in Thawing Water, 1919

signed and dated lower right Nils Tirén 1919
oil on canvas
unframed 60 × 92 cm (23.6 × 36.2 in)
framed 75 × 107 cm (29.5 × 42.1 in)

Provenance:
Private collection, Jämtland, Sweden

Condition report:
The painting appears to be in good condition. The colors are clear and well preserved, and the surface presents a stable paint layer. The frame shows a fine aged patina with minor flaws consistent with age.

Essay:
Nils Tirén was born in Oviken in Jämtland into a distinguished artistic family. He was the son of the painter Johan Tirén and the artist Gerda Tirén, and he grew up in an environment where both art and close observation of nature were central. His sister, Stina Tirén, was also active as an artist. This familial context played a decisive role in shaping his early development, particularly in fostering a deep engagement with landscape and animal life.

He pursued formal studies in Stockholm, where he received training at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts. His artistic formation was further enriched through travel, and he maintained a strong connection to both the northern landscapes of Jämtland and the varied environments of central Sweden. Throughout his career, Tirén remained committed to working directly from nature, often studying animals in their natural habitats. This method allowed him to achieve a high degree of accuracy in posture and movement, combined with a sensitivity to the surrounding environment.

In this painting from 1919 presents a group of goldeneye ducks resting and moving across dark, open water at the threshold between winter and spring. The shoreline is still edged with snow, yet the ice has begun to recede, allowing the surface of the water to emerge in deep, reflective tones. The composition is built around the contrast between the cold, muted landscape and the crisp, black and white forms of the birds. The motif is understated, yet precisely observed, capturing a fleeting seasonal transition that is characteristic of the northern environment.

Tirén exhibited in several important contexts during his lifetime. He participated in exhibitions organized by Sweden’s General Art Association and was represented at the Baltic Exhibition in Malmö in 1914. In 1918 he exhibited together with his mother and sister at Konstnärshuset in Stockholm, presenting works that focused on animal subjects. After his death, his work was included in a memorial exhibition at Liljevalchs in 1935.

Alongside his work as a painter, Tirén played a significant role in the development of Swedish educational imagery. He produced a large number of school charts depicting animals for the publisher Norstedts, combining scientific accuracy with a strong sense of atmosphere. Among these is a school chart depicting goldeneyes, executed in 1929, which demonstrates the continuity of his interest in waterfowl and seasonal landscapes. 

Nils Tirén, Goldeneyes, school chart, 1929.

The present painting can be understood within this broader context. It exemplifies Tirén’s ability to unite zoological precision with a nuanced rendering of light and season. The birds are not isolated studies, but integral elements within a carefully observed environment. The work does not rely on dramatic effect, but instead conveys its impact through restraint, balance and an intimate understanding of nature. As such, it stands as a representative and accomplished example of Tirén’s contribution to Swedish painting.

Alfred Thörne (1850–1916) Sweden

Lakeside Landscape, 1883

signed and dated lower left 1883
oil on panel
unframed 21.5 × 30 cm (8.5 × 11.8 in)
framed 37 × 46.5 cm (14.6 × 18.3 in)

Provenance:
Private collection, Sweden

Essay:
Alfred Thörne was born in 1850 in Horn, Östergötland, and belongs to a generation of Swedish painters whose formation was grounded in the academic tradition but increasingly shaped by international experience. He studied at the Royal Swedish Academy of Fine Arts in Stockholm between 1874 and 1880 under Per Daniel Holm, one of the leading landscape painters and teachers of the period. His talent was recognized early, and in 1880 he was awarded the Royal Medal for the painting Sommarmorgon. The following year he was appointed agré at the Academy.

In 1884 Thörne received a travel scholarship that enabled him to undertake extended study journeys across Europe. Between 1884 and 1886 he traveled to Germany, France, Italy and Belgium, encountering a wide range of artistic traditions and contemporary developments. These experiences contributed to a broadening of his artistic vocabulary, particularly in relation to landscape painting. The influence of continental naturalism and plein air practice can be discerned in works such as the present example, where direct observation and tonal unity take precedence over academic construction.

Thörne exhibited regularly during his lifetime and participated in several important exhibitions, including the Nordic Exhibition in Copenhagen in 1888, the Gothenburg Exhibition of 1891 and the World’s Columbian Exposition in Chicago in 1893. He was also active within the Swedish exhibition circuit and later showed his work together with Olof Hermelin in Stockholm in 1910. His career was recognized posthumously with a memorial exhibition at Konstnärshuset in Stockholm in 1916.

The present painting can be understood within this broader context. Its modest scale and direct execution suggest that it may have been painted outdoors, capturing a specific moment with immediacy. The brushwork remains visible, particularly in the foliage and along the shoreline, where subtle tonal variations create a sense of depth and movement. The water is rendered with a restrained palette, reflecting the sky without strong contrasts, contributing to the overall harmony of the composition.

Thörne is represented in several important Swedish collections, including Nationalmuseum in Stockholm, the Nordiska Museet, Östergötlands Museum, Norrköpings Konstmuseum, Gävle Museum and Sundsvalls Museum. 

Condition report:
The painting has been recently cleaned by a professional conservator in 2026. The colors are clear and well balanced, and the surface retains a fresh and vivid appearance. The paint layer appears stable and the work is in very good condition. The frame, likely original, shows a fine patina with minor flaws consistent with age.

Frants Henningsen (1850–1908) Denmark

Study of Cattle, c. 1880

monogrammed lower left FH
oil on panel
unframed 13.5 × 22 cm (5.3 × 8.7 in)
framed 22 × 30 cm (8.7 × 11.8 in)

Provenance:
Swedish private collection

Essay:
This small oil study by Frants Henningsen is striking in its simplicity and immediacy. A single cattle dominates the foreground, resting in the grass with a sense of physical weight and calm presence, while additional cattle are indicated in the background with only a few brushstrokes. The composition is not concerned with narrative complexity, but rather with the direct observation of form, posture and atmosphere. It is precisely this restraint that gives the work its strength.

Henningsen was trained at the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts in Copenhagen and later continued his studies in Paris under Léon Bonnat. He established himself as one of the leading figures of Danish realism in the late nineteenth century and was eventually appointed professor at the Academy. He is best known for his carefully composed genre scenes, often depicting moments of emotional or social tension within everyday life. These works are characterized by a high degree of finish and a strong narrative content.

In contrast, the present panel reveals a more immediate and observational aspect of his practice. The handling of paint is free and direct,  the work was executed plein air. The artist does not attempt to refine or idealize the forms, but instead records them with a confident economy of means.

The foreground animal is constructed through broad areas of warm brown and red tones, with subtle variations that define volume and musculature. The head is given slightly greater emphasis, with careful attention to the eye, muzzle and horns, allowing the animal to emerge with a quiet individuality. In contrast, the background cattle are rendered with remarkable brevity, demonstrating Henningsen’s ability to suggest form with minimal intervention. 

Although Henningsen is not primarily associated with animal painting, there is evidence that he engaged with rural subjects during the 1880s, particularly in works connected to the Gisselfeld estate, where cattle and agricultural settings appear as central motifs. Paintings from this period show that he was capable of integrating animals into larger compositions, often within carefully structured landscapes. The present work can be understood as closely related to this aspect of his production, though executed in a more spontaneous and intimate format.

Small scale oil studies such as this were an important part of many nineteenth century artists’ working methods. They allowed for direct engagement with light, color and form outside the studio, and often served as a foundation for larger compositions. At the same time, they possess an autonomy that distinguishes them from preparatory sketches. In this case, the painting stands as a complete and self sufficient work, in which the immediacy of execution is central to its aesthetic impact.

Condition report:
The painting has recently undergone professional conservation. The colors have regained clarity and depth, and the brushwork is now more distinctly legible. The paint layer appears stable and well preserved.

Sources:
Dansk Biografisk Leksikon
Statens Museum for Kunst, Copenhagen
Den Hirschsprungske Samling, Copenhagen
Exhibition catalogues from Charlottenborg
Auction records and archival material on Frants Henningsen

Anders Loman (1879–1953) Sweden

Mountain Landscape in Moonlight, 1926

signed and dated lower right 26
oil on canvas
unframed 64 × 68.5 cm (25.2 × 27 in)
framed 74 × 79 cm (29.1 × 31.1 in)

Provenance:
Private collection, Sweden

Essay:
Anders Loman, born in 1879 in Rättvik in the province of Dalarna, belongs to a generation of Swedish artists whose work was shaped by both regional identity and international exposure. The son of a soldier and charcoal burner, his background reflects the rural environment that would remain a lasting point of reference throughout his artistic life. Loman’s career developed across several parallel fields, as he was active not only as a painter but also as a writer and art critic, a combination that situates him within a broader intellectual and cultural milieu rather than solely within studio practice.

His formal training took place at Valand School of Fine Arts in Gothenburg between 1910 and 1913, one of the leading institutions in Sweden at the time. This education was complemented by a series of study trips across Europe, including Paris in 1914 and later journeys to Germany, Austria, Italy and Denmark. 

Loman exhibited separately in Falun in 1934 and in Stockholm in 1939, while also participating in group exhibitions with the Dalarnas Art Association and in the significant exhibition Dalakonstnärer at Liljevalchs Konsthall in 1936. His inclusion in these contexts underscores his position within the artistic life of Dalarna, a region that played a central role in the construction of Swedish cultural identity during the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries.

The present painting, dated 1926, belongs to a mature phase in Loman’s career, when his painterly language had achieved a notable degree of refinement. The composition is structured through horizontal bands of colour and tone, creating a sense of spatial depth while maintaining an overall unity. The handling of light is subdued and indirect, contributing to a contemplative mood rather than a descriptive account of a specific place. Such works demonstrate Loman’s ability to distill landscape into essential relationships of colour and form.

Loman spent much of his life in Mora, where he died in 1953. 

Condition report:

The painting is in good condition. The surface presents a stable paint layer with bright and clear colors. The work is presented in a new gilded frame.

Sources:
Svenskt konstnärslexikon
Nationalmuseum, Stockholm, collection and archives
Nordisk konst kring sekelskiftet 1900, exhibition literature
Auction records and archival material on Anders Loman

Axel Zachrison (1884–1944) Sweden

Vårbäck. Motiv från Dalsland (Spring Brook. Motif from Dalsland)

signed lower right
oil on canvas
unframed 101 × 82 cm (39.8 × 32.3 in)
framed 111 × 92 cm (43.7 × 36.2 in)
presented in a new white frame

Provenance:
Private collection, Malmö

Essay:
Spring Brook presents a springtime woodland motif associated with the forests of Dalsland, a region in western Sweden long celebrated for its deep woods, lakes, and winding streams. In this painting Axel Zachrison constructs the composition around a narrow brook that curves gently through the forest floor, guiding the viewer’s eye into the depth of the scene. The stream functions not only as a natural feature but also as a compositional device. Its winding course leads the viewer inward while reflecting the surrounding tones of sky and vegetation.

The most striking element of the painting is the rhythmic vertical structure formed by the tall birch trees. Their pale trunks rise straight upward through the canvas, creating a forest interior defined by vertical movement and quiet symmetry. This method of structuring the landscape through slender tree trunks recalls a broader tradition within Swedish landscape painting. Artists such as Fritz Lindström and Oskar Bergman often employed similar compositions in which entire trees fill the pictorial space, transforming the forest itself into the principal subject.

Zachrison’s handling of the trees is both decorative and naturalistic. The white bark of the birches stands out against the darker tones of the deeper forest beyond, producing a luminous contrast that animates the scene. Between the trunks the viewer glimpses a dense woodland interior rendered in deep greens and warm browns, suggesting the layered complexity of the forest.

The ground is covered with fresh spring vegetation. Small white flowers appear scattered across the forest floor, evoking the early season when the first plants emerge beneath still bare branches. The brook reflects the surrounding colours of earth and sky, and its surface captures subtle variations of light as it moves through the landscape.

Axel Zachrison was born in 1884 in Dalsland, a region whose natural environment strongly influenced his artistic work. He was largely self taught but developed his artistic practice through contact with established painters and through travel. His landscapes often focus on motifs from western Sweden, where forests, waterways, and rural scenery offered subjects well suited to his observational approach.

In paintings such as Spring Brook the artist reveals a close familiarity with the landscape he depicts. The work is not a grand panoramic view but an intimate study of a specific place within the forest. The viewer is placed almost at the edge of the brook, surrounded by the rising trunks and enclosed by the woodland atmosphere.

Through this carefully balanced composition, Zachrison transforms a simple woodland scene into a quietly contemplative image. The tall birches, the winding stream, and the fresh vegetation together create a landscape that conveys both the structure and the calm vitality of the northern forest in spring.

Condition report:
There is visible age related wear. consistent with the nature and handling of an older canvas painting. The paint surface appears generally stable. The work is offered in a new white frame.