WORKS ON PAPER

CARL JOHAN FORSBERG (1868–1938) SWEDEN

PALAZZO PRIULI AND THE PONTE DEL DIAVOLO, VENICE, 1927

inscribed, signed and dated along the lower edge
“PALAZZO PRIULI. VENEZIA. MAGGIO XXVII. CARL JOHAN FORSBERG FECIT”
watercolour on paper
unframed 65 × 47 cm (25.6 × 18.5 in)
framed 89 × 71 cm (35 × 28 in)

Essay:
Dated May 1927, this finely observed watercolour depicts Palazzo Priuli all’Osmarin in the Castello district of Venice, close to San Zaccaria and immediately beside the Ponte del Diavolo. Rather than selecting one of the most familiar monuments of the city, Carl Johan Forsberg concentrates upon a more intimate corner of Venice, where Gothic architecture, canal life and everyday figures are brought together within a carefully constructed composition.

Palazzo Priuli all’Osmarin is an important surviving example of early Venetian Gothic domestic architecture. The palace was erected around the turn of the fifteenth century and was certainly in existence by 1431. Its elaborate pointed windows, tracery and corner openings belong to the architectural language that made the Venetian palazzo one of the most distinctive forms of late medieval secular architecture. Contemporary research has noted that architectural details of Palazzo Priuli were sufficiently admired to serve as models for elements of the Ca’ d’Oro.

Forsberg emphasizes precisely those qualities. The building rises across almost the full height of the sheet, its warm terracotta façade animated by Gothic arches, carved capitals, green shutters and small balconies. The Ponte del Diavolo curves across the lower part of the palace, providing a strong architectural counterform to the vertical walls above. Beneath it runs the narrow canal, where a gondola and gondolier introduce movement into an otherwise almost suspended scene.

The composition reveals Forsberg’s original training as an architect. He studied architecture at the Royal Institute of Technology in Stockholm from 1889 to 1893 and subsequently continued his education at the Royal Swedish Academy of Fine Arts. A contemporary critic observed that Forsberg was particularly attracted by what could be crystallized into lines, figures and architectural forms. This description is especially appropriate to the present sheet. The façade is not simply represented as a mass of masonry. Forsberg patiently articulates windows, columns, shutters, tracery, roof lines and decorative borders until the building itself acquires an almost ornamental rhythm.

Yet two small figures at the lower left prevent the composition from becoming purely architectural. Seen from behind, the women are wrapped in large blue and green shawls ornamented with floral motifs and exceptionally long fringes. Their garments recall the traditional Venetian scialle, a form of large shawl closely associated with women’s dress in the city. The older Venetian term zendàle was also used for a veil or shawl covering the head and shoulders and, in later usage, for the broad fringed Venetian shawl. Although the traditional nineteenth century form was often black, historical accounts also record coloured and decorated examples. Forsberg’s two brilliant figures therefore introduce a note of local costume while simultaneously providing some of the strongest colours in the foreground.

Their importance to the composition is considerable. Against the pale pavement and warm architecture, the blue and green fabrics create a chromatic counterweight to the palace. Forsberg places them at the extreme lower corner rather than at the centre, making them appear almost as passing observers entering his architectural study. The nearby gondolier, partly obscured by the edge of the building, reinforces this sense of daily life unfolding around a monument that has stood for centuries.

The inscription itself is characteristic and unusually elaborate. Forsberg writes not merely his name and the location, but fecit, the Latin for “made it”. Together with the precise identification “Palazzo Priuli. Venezia. Maggio XXVII”, it gives the sheet something of the character of an architect’s travel record or an artist’s visual diary.

The date places the work within a documented Italian journey. A watercolour of Villa Falconieri at Frascati bears the date March 1927, while the present work was executed in Venice in May. Forsberg was therefore moving through Italy during these months, recording architecture and landscape with the same combination of precision and decorative freedom that had characterized his work for decades.

Forsberg’s reputation has undergone a notable reassessment in recent years. The Musée d’Orsay acquired his major Symbolist watercolour Pax in 2022 and followed this with the acquisition of Nizza (Nice) in 2025. In 2026 both appeared in the museum’s Northern Light presentation, where Forsberg was placed within a wider reappraisal of Scandinavian drawing and Nordic Symbolism.

The present watercolour demonstrates another aspect of the artist. It is less overtly Symbolist than Pax, yet its transformation of architecture into colour, line and pattern is unmistakably personal. Forsberg does not simply document Palazzo Priuli. Through the pale blue sky, warm stucco, dark green shutters, elaborate Gothic tracery and the extraordinary fringed shawls of the two women below, he converts a particular Venetian street corner into a highly individual image of the city.

CARL JOHAN FORSBERG (1868–1938) Sweden

THE BACINO DI SAN MARCO, VENICE, 1927

inscribed and dated lower left “VENEZIA XXVII” 
and signed lower right “CARL JOHAN FORSBERG”
unframed 65 × 47 cm (25.6 × 18.5 in)
framed 89 × 71 cm (35 × 28 in)
watercolour on paper

Essay:
In this expansive view across the Bacino di San Marco, Carl Johan Forsberg places the maritime life of Venice at the centre of the composition. A traditional sailing vessel dominates the foreground, its ochre sails rising dramatically against an intense blue sky, while beyond it the most celebrated monuments of the Venetian waterfront form an intricate architectural panorama. The Campanile di San Marco rises at the left, while the Doge’s Palace, the domes and towers surrounding the Piazza, and the buildings extending eastwards along the lagoon establish the unmistakable setting.

The vessel in the foreground belongs to the traditional world of the Venetian lagoon. Its rig resembles the vela al terzo, the characteristic form of lug sail used by several types of working boats in Venice and the northern Adriatic. Such sails were frequently coloured in ochre, brown, red and black and decorated with geometric signs, religious emblems or marks identifying a family or vessel. Forsberg carefully records this visual culture. The broad golden sail carries dark linear symbols, while a smaller brown sail rises behind it. Figures at work aboard the boat emphasize that this is not merely a picturesque ornament but part of the working life of the lagoon.

Forsberg’s approach to Venice is particularly revealing when considered in relation to his background. Born in Stockholm in 1868, he initially trained in architecture at the Royal Institute of Technology between 1889 and 1893 and subsequently attended the building school of the Royal Swedish Academy of Fine Arts. He also studied etching under Axel Tallberg. This architectural formation remained visible throughout his career. Buildings, coastlines and landscapes were often organized through clear contours and carefully balanced planes rather than dissolved into atmospheric impression.

That quality is strongly present here. Forsberg does not treat Venice as a fleeting effect of light. The Campanile, the façades surrounding San Marco and the sailing boat are described almost architecturally. Their outlines remain precise even within the transparent medium of watercolour. At the same time, the reflections beneath the boat loosen into horizontal and vertical strokes of turquoise and green, giving the lower part of the sheet a freer rhythm. The contrast between precise structure and decorative surface is characteristic of Forsberg’s highly individual approach.

Travel played an essential role in his art. He worked extensively outside Sweden and produced subjects in Switzerland, France, Italy, Greece, North Africa, Denmark and Norway. His Italian travels had begun decades earlier, yet he continued returning to southern subjects. Another known watercolour, Frascati, Villa Falconieri, is inscribed March 1927. The present sheet, dated simply Venice 1927, together with the accompanying view of Palazzo Priuli dated May of that year, suggests a renewed Italian journey during the spring of 1927.

Forsberg occupied an unusual position in Scandinavian art. He exhibited comparatively little and for much of his life remained outside the artistic mainstream. His major Symbolist watercolour Pax, painted in 1905, was regarded by Forsberg himself as one of his most important works. In 2022 it was acquired by the Musée d’Orsay. The museum subsequently acquired his Nizza (Nice) of 1903 in 2025. Both works were included in the Musée d’Orsay presentation Northern Light in 2026, part of a broader reassessment of Nordic artists who had long remained outside the established canon.

The present Venetian view belongs to a later and more descriptive phase of Forsberg’s work, yet the qualities that distinguish his earlier watercolours remain evident. The almost unreal saturation of the sky, the flattened silhouettes of architecture, the ornamental sails and the patterned reflections transform an observed view into something more personal. Venice becomes at once a recognizable city and a carefully ordered decorative vision, filtered through the eye of an artist whose first education had been architectural and whose mature art continually moved between observation, design and imagination.

Olof Thunman (1879–1944) Sweden

View Over Ängarås, Gröngatan

monogram signed lower right
pencil on paper
a landscape study recto, with a study of trees verso
framed 32 × 46.5 cm (12.6 × 18.3 in)

Provenance:
The artist’s estate (Konstnärens efterlämnade arbeten).
Estate stamp a tergo, signed by Nils Ålenius, administrator of the estate inventory.
Private collection, Sweden.

Documentation:
The drawing is documented in a photograph developed in December 1944, shortly after Thunman’s death. 

Essay:
This finely observed landscape drawing by Olof Thunman depicts Ängarås, Gröngatan, The composition opens across a broad cultivated landscape. A gently curving road or track enters from the foreground and disappears towards a dense belt of trees, while a low stone wall leads the eye diagonally into the scene. Beyond the woodland, the landscape opens once again into distant fields and low horizons beneath a large sky.

Thunman builds the landscape almost entirely through rhythm. The foreground is lightly described, while the trees are constructed from repeated, looping pencil lines that give each group its own character. Further away, the marks become increasingly restrained. The distant terrain is reduced to long horizontal contours, producing an effective sense of depth with remarkably economical means.

Olof Thunman occupied an unusual position in Swedish cultural life. He was both an artist and a poet, and his visual art shares many qualities with his writing: an attachment to specific places, close observation of the changing landscape and an ability to find significance in apparently modest surroundings. He studied at the Royal Swedish Academy of Fine Arts and became particularly associated with the landscapes of Uppland and central Sweden.

The reverse of the sheet contains an additional study of trees, providing further insight into Thunman’s working method. Such verso sketches are particularly appealing in works on paper because they reveal that the sheet remained an active working surface rather than an object conceived primarily for exhibition.

Nils Kreuger (1858–1930) Sweden

Rolling Horse beneath an Oak

authenticated a tergo by the artist’s relative Per Morén, Kalmar
unsigned
ink and chalk on paper
framed 30 × 49 cm (11.8 × 19.3 in)

Provenance:
The estate of the artist’s daughter.
Thence by descent.

Authentication:
Accompanied by a certificate of authenticity a tergo, issued by the artist’s relative Per Morén, Kalmar.

Condition Report:
Recently examined and treated by a professional paper conservator. The corners have been repaired, together with a repair and discreet retouching along the outer edge. The drawing otherwise presents well.

Essay:
This vigorous drawing by Nils Kreuger captures one of the subjects most closely associated with his art: the horse observed freely in the landscape. In the foreground, a powerful horse has lowered itself onto the ground and rolls across the uneven terrain beneath the spreading branches of an oak. In the distance at left, a second horse comes running towards the scene, introducing an additional sense of movement into an already remarkably animated composition.

Kreuger was fascinated by horses throughout his career. They appear pulling carts along country roads, standing quietly in fields, moving through landscapes and, as here, behaving entirely according to their own instincts. What distinguishes the present drawing is precisely this absence of human intervention. There is no rider, farmer or harness. The animals belong completely to the landscape.

The rolling horse dominates the sheet. Its raised head and twisting body create an unusual silhouette, while the dense network of ink strokes gives weight and physical presence to its body. Kreuger does not attempt to describe the animal through smooth modelling. Instead, its form is constructed through repeated lines, hatching and energetic marks that seem almost to follow the direction of muscle and movement.

The technique is particularly characteristic of Kreuger's graphic language. Ink lines are layered and crossed to establish volume, while the chalk introduces softer tonal passages. The same restless marks continue through the surrounding terrain and into the great oak at upper right. Horse, vegetation and earth are therefore united by the same rhythmic system of drawing.

The composition nevertheless remains remarkably spacious. Beyond the foreground animal stretches an open landscape with water and a distant shoreline. The second horse, much smaller in scale, provides both narrative interest and a strong sense of depth. Its energetic approach contrasts with the heavy, almost monumental presence of the rolling horse.

Nils Kreuger studied at the Royal Swedish Academy of Fine Arts before continuing his artistic development in France during the 1880s. There he absorbed contemporary plein air naturalism, but after returning to Sweden he gradually developed a highly individual style. Together with artists including Karl Nordström and Richard Bergh, he became closely associated with the Varberg artists' colony during the 1890s and with the development of Swedish National Romantic landscape painting.

Drawing remained fundamental to his art. During his mature career Kreuger developed an immediately recognisable manner in which repeated lines, dots and short strokes animate the surface. His animals are rarely static accessories to a landscape. They possess weight, temperament and individuality, and his intimate knowledge of their movement is evident even in rapidly executed studies.

The present sheet is especially appealing because the motif feels observed rather than arranged. A horse rolling on the ground is an awkward, temporary and surprisingly difficult movement to capture convincingly. Kreuger transforms that fleeting action into the centre of the composition while allowing the surrounding landscape to retain its own importance.

The provenance gives the drawing particular significance. It comes from the estate of the artist’s daughter and is accompanied by an authentication issued by Kreuger’s relative Per Morén of Kalmar. For an unsigned work on paper, this direct family provenance and accompanying authentication provide an important connection to the artist.

Rolling Horse beneath an Oak is therefore both a lively animal study and a particularly characteristic example of Kreuger’s graphic art. The rolling horse, approaching companion and strongly articulated oak create a scene filled with movement, while the dense and highly personal line work makes the artist’s hand immediately present.

Erik Tryggelin (1878–1962) Sweden

Cloud Study, Egypt, 1914

signed and dated lower left Erik Tryggelin, Den 5 maj 1914
watercolour on paper
unframed 15.5 × 24 cm (6.1 × 9.4 in)
framed 23 × 31 cm (9.1 × 12.2 in)

Provenance:
Private collection, Sweden.

Condition Report:
The watercolour is in good condition with well preserved colours.

Essay:
Dated 5 May 1914, this watercolour was executed during Erik Tryggelin's journey to Egypt in the spring of that year. Rather than recording architecture, monuments or everyday life, Tryggelin turned his attention almost entirely towards the sky, producing a remarkably modern study of light, colour and atmosphere.

The composition is reduced to a few broad passages of colour. An intense blue occupies the upper half of the sheet, meeting a vast bank of clouds in delicate shades of pale pink, apricot and violet. Darker blue shadows float within the clouds, giving them volume while preserving the extraordinary transparency particular to the watercolour medium.

Erik Tryggelin received his artistic education at the Royal Swedish Academy of Fine Arts in Stockholm and subsequently continued his studies abroad, including an important period in Paris. Travel remained central to his artistic development. In 1914 he undertook a journey to Egypt, producing watercolours and studies that record his encounter with the dramatically different light and colour of North Africa.

Compared with the carefully observed streets and architectural views for which Tryggelin is often known, this small watercolour reveals a freer and more experimental side of the artist. There is no narrative and almost no drawing in the conventional sense. Everything depends upon colour, atmosphere and the movement of water across paper.

Unknown Artist (Sweden, early 20th century)

Memento Mori

inscribed in Swedish: “Tänk på att Jag har varit såsom Du, och att Du skall bliva såsom Jag.”
pencil, charcoal and white heightening on paper
unframed 29.5 × 22.6 cm (11.6 × 8.9 in)
framed 40 × 33 cm (15.7 × 13 in)

Inscription
“Tänk på att Jag har varit såsom Du, och att Du skall bliva såsom Jag.”

Translation:
“Remember that I have been as you are, and that you shall become as I am.”

Provenance
Private collection, Sweden.

Essay:
This drawing belongs to the long European tradition of the memento mori, an image intended to remind the viewer of the inevitability of death and the transience of earthly life. Rather than surrounding the skull with symbolic objects, the unknown artist has reduced the composition to its essential elements: the human skull and a direct written address to the viewer.

Beneath the skull appears the Swedish inscription: “Tänk på att Jag har varit såsom Du, och att Du skall bliva såsom Jag.” In English: “Remember that I have been as you are, and that you shall become as I am.”

The sentiment has deep roots in European funerary culture. Closely related formulations occur in medieval and later epitaphs in which the dead address the living directly, reminding them that the distinction between viewer and deceased is only temporary. Here, the inscription effectively gives the skull a voice. The anonymous remains cease to be merely an anatomical study and instead address the spectator personally.

This combination makes the drawing considerably more compelling than a conventional study of a skull. It operates simultaneously as an anatomical image and a meditation on mortality. The absence of an identified artist arguably reinforces this effect: the individual identity has disappeared, leaving only the universal human form and its message.

Gerda Tirén (1858–1928) Sweden

Portrait of Nils And Stina Tirén Reading - Kring Granen och Brasan

watercolour on card
not signed, the signature was originally placed below the present image.
unframed 19.5 × 24.5 cm (7.7 × 9.6 in)
framed 29 × 34.5 cm (11.4 × 13.6 in)

original illustration for the front cover of the Christmas annual Kring granen och brasan, 1906.

Provenance:
Johan Bernhard Gauffin, editor of Kring granen och brasan, 1906;
By descent to Einar Gauffin;
Sold at auction following the dispersal of the Einar Gauffin estate;
Private collection, Sweden;
Norderö Antik;
We acquired it from above. 

Essay:
This intimate watercolour depicts the artist’s children, Nils Tirén and Stina Tirén, they reading the Christmas annual Kring granen och brasan. The image served as the original illustration for the cover of the 1906 issue of the magazine, yet the execution likely predates publication by several years. Born in 1885 and 1886, the children appear here at a tender age, suggesting that the watercolour was probably painted in the mid 1890s and later selected for reproduction.

The composition is remarkably concentrated. The two children are positioned close together. The boy’s arm rests protectively around his sister’s shoulders, forming a gentle arc that unites the figures into a single compositional unit. Their expressions are rendered with exceptional sensitivity. There is no overt sentimentality. Instead, Tirén captures the quiet seriousness of childhood concentration. The children are not performing for the viewer. They are inwardly engaged.

The modelling of the faces demonstrates  GerdaTirén’s mastery of watercolour. Subtle transitions of tone define cheeks, eyelids, and the delicate curve of the mouth. The skin is luminous yet solid, built through transparent washes that preserve the light of the paper. The blue garments are articulated with layered washes that retain clarity without heaviness. The warm yellow of the magazine cover introduces a compositional counterweight, drawing the eye downward and stabilising the image. The limited palette enhances the intimacy of the scene.

The small scale contributes significantly to the work’s charm. At 19.5 × 24.5 cm, the sheet invites close viewing. This intimacy transforms the work from a simple portrait into a meditation on reading itself. The act of shared reading becomes a symbol of family, education, and seasonal tradition.

Within the context of Swedish illustrated publishing at the turn of the century, Christmas annuals held an important cultural role. They combined moral instruction, storytelling, and visual appeal. The cover image was essential. It communicated warmth, domestic harmony, and festive anticipation. Tirén’s illustration fulfils these expectations with refinement. Rather than depicting overt Christmas imagery, she focuses on the moment of engagement with the book itself. The magazine becomes both object and motif.

Gerda Tirén was one of the most respected Swedish illustrators of her generation. Trained in academic drawing and active in both painting and book illustration, she developed a style distinguished by clarity of line and psychological insight. Her ability to render children with dignity and authenticity set her apart. In this work, she avoids exaggeration. The children are portrayed as thoughtful individuals, not decorative types. Their expressions reveal interior life.

Ultimately, this watercolour embodies both tenderness and technical assurance. The expressions captured in the children’s faces testify to Tirén’s extraordinary observational skill. The restrained handling of colour, the compositional balance, and the intimate scale combine to create a work of enduring charm. It is at once a family portrait, an illustration, and a finely resolved independent artwork that preserves a moment of concentrated childhood stillness.

Condition report:
The paint surface appears well preserved with fresh transparency in the blue garments and stable modelling in the faces. Minor age related toning of the card is visible. No major tears or structural weaknesses are apparent. Presented in a newly made gilded frame. The sheet has been cut down at some point.

OSKAR BERGMAN (1879–1963) Sweden

BAGGENSFJÄRDEN, STOCKHOLM, 1922

signed and dated lower right
pencil on paper
unframed 18 × 26.5 cm (7.1 × 10.4 in)
framed 23.5 × 32 cm (9.3 × 12.6 in)

Provenance:
The artist’s daughter Ingrid Bergman; 
Britt and Björn Gustavsson, Stockholm;
We acquired it 2025. 

Condition report:
The drawing is in very fine condition. The sheet appears well preserved, with no visible tears, losses, or significant discoloration. The surface retains a fresh and even tonality, and the graphite remains clear and stable. The work has recently been fitted with new museum glass providing 92 percent ultraviolet protection and an anti reflective surface. The frame is the original frame and shows only minor age consistent wear.

Essay:
This refined pencil drawing from 1922 depicts Baggensfjärden in winter, rendered with a quiet authority that is characteristic of Oskar Bergman’s mature landscape practice. The composition unfolds in measured horizontal bands, leading the eye from the snow covered foreground across a surface of thin ice toward distant wooded heights. The restrained tonal scale and the subtle modulation of light create an atmosphere of suspended stillness that is both observed and carefully constructed.

The foreground and the low islands appear blanketed in snow. Bergman conveys this through delicate, even passages of graphite that preserve the brightness of the paper while introducing gentle shadows to suggest uneven ground beneath the frozen surface. The contours are softened rather than sharply defined, allowing the snow to read as a continuous mass shaped by wind and cold. Trees rise from this whitened terrain, their dark silhouettes providing measured vertical accents against the pale expanse.The water appear as covered by field of thin ice. In several passages, particularly toward the middle and background, reflections from the wooded shores and rocky outcrops remain visible beneath or upon the ice. 

Baggensfjärden, situated between Saltsjöbaden and the inner archipelago, has long offered artists a motif where openness and enclosure coexist. In winter the fjärd acquires a particular clarity. The sky remains expansive and restrained. Rather than filling the upper register with emphatic cloud formations, Bergman allows the atmosphere to remain pale and weightless. A subtle gradation toward the upper edge suggests both spatial recession and the cool density of winter air. This restraint enhances the contemplative quality of the drawing. Nothing in the scene disturbs the equilibrium.

Within Bergman’s oeuvre, landscapes such as this demonstrate his commitment to structural coherence and tonal harmony. Trained within the Swedish academic tradition yet responsive to broader European developments, he cultivated a language grounded in disciplined drawing. Even in graphite, his sense of pictorial architecture is evident. The scene is carefully organized through horizontal divisions of snow, ice, and forest, yet the construction never feels rigid. Instead, the image breathes with a natural rhythm derived from observation.

The year 1922 places the work in a period when Bergman had fully consolidated his artistic identity. By this time he was recognised for interiors and landscapes marked by sobriety and balance. In Baggensfjärden this restraint becomes especially effective. The winter setting reduces visual distraction and directs attention to nuance, to the fine transitions that define snow covered ground, frozen water, and the reflected darkness of trees and rock.

Gustaf Tenggren (1896–1970) Sweden

Trollkarlens urnyckel (The Sorcerer’s Clockwork Key), 1918

signed and dated lower right “G. Tenggren 1918”
watercolour on paper
unframed 25 × 23 cm (9.8 × 9.1 in)
framed 36 x 34 cm (14.17 x 13.4 in)
Carved oak frame by Christer Björkman, Stockholms Förgyllning & Bildhuggeri, Stockholm.

Provenance:
Private collection, Sweden.

Condition report:
Overall very good condition. The sheet presents gentle overall toning consistent with age. No major tears, losses, or visible restorations are apparent. 

Essay:
Executed in 1918, this watercolour belongs to the formative Swedish period of Gustaf Tenggren’s career, at the precise moment when he consolidated his position as one of the most important interpreters of Nordic fairy tale imagery in the early twentieth century. Trained in Gothenburg at Slöjdföreningens school and at Valand, Tenggren combined academic draughtsmanship with a refined decorative sensibility, qualities that proved ideally suited to book illustration. His command of line, tonal restraint, and atmospheric composition allowed him to construct images that function both narratively and autonomously.

In 1917 Tenggren succeeded John Bauer as illustrator of the celebrated Christmas annual Bland tomtar och troll, a publication that had already become central to Swedish visual folklore culture. From 1918 onward he assumed a defining role in shaping its pictorial language. Whereas Bauer’s trolls often inhabit a mythic grandeur rooted in national romanticism, Tenggren introduced a subtler psychological dimension. His figures are frequently introspective, their gestures inward and restrained, their environments enveloping rather than theatrical.

The present composition, likely conceived as an alternative illustration for Trollkarlens urnyckel by Anna Wahlenberg, embodies this shift. The sorcerer is shown alone, kneeling or seated close to the forest floor, absorbed in violin playing. Mushrooms, fallen leaves, and subdued woodland tones enclose him within an intimate sphere. The elongated pale arms and sharply defined profile emerge from a muted ground of earth browns and soft greens. The modelling is delicate and continuous, the transitions in tone understated. Rather than depicting a dramatic episode from the tale, Tenggren presents the magician in a contemplative state, prior to his encounter with Prince Kaladin and before the demonstrations of the enchanted key.

This interpretative approach is characteristic of Tenggren’s early maturity. Instead of illustrating a single narrative climax, he visualizes atmosphere and interiority. The violin functions symbolically. Music, like magic, orders time and alters perception. In a story concerned with the manipulation of life’s duration, the image of a solitary musician becomes a metaphor for rhythm, control, and unseen power. The sorcerer does not perform for an audience; he inhabits his own enchantment. The viewer becomes witness rather than participant.

The year 1918 is significant within Tenggren’s biography. It marks the culmination of his Swedish breakthrough before his emigration to the United States in 1920. In America he would later work as a leading illustrator and concept artist, most notably at Walt Disney Studios between 1936 and 1939, contributing to the visual development of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs and later productions including Pinocchio and Bambi. The atmospheric forests and monumental architectural spaces of those films retain echoes of his Scandinavian origins. 

Hjalmar Falk (1856–1938, Swedish)

Boats in Moonlight, 1904

Signed and dated lower left
Watercolour on paper
Unframed 25.5 × 55 cm (10 × 21.7 in); framed 36 × 66 cm (14.2 × 26 in)

Provenance:
A Swedish private collection.

Condition Report:
Excellent condition overall.
Presented in a recent gilt frame with UV-protective museum glass.

Essay
Boats in Moonlight (1904) is a watercolor on paper measuring 25.5 × 55 cm (10 × 21.7 in). It depicts a Swedish coastal scene under a luminous moonlit sky., Along the quiet shoreline, a pair of sailing boats with their masts silhouetted rests at anchor, accompanied by a small rowboat moored nearby. The full moon hangs low above the horizon, its silvery light reflected in a shimmering path across the calm water. Gentle ripples on the surface catch the moon’s glow, illuminating the hulls of the vessels and the wet shoreline with a soft, diffuse radiance. In the distance, the outline of the far shore and additional boats are faintly visible, rendered in subdued tones that recede into the nocturnal haze.

The composition emphasizes stillness and atmosphere, characteristic of Falk’s marine nocturnes. The artist’s handling of watercolor masterfully captures the ephemeral effects of moonlight on water and sky. Transparent washes of deep blue and gray define the night sky and ocean, while reserved areas of pale paper tone or lighter pigment convey the glow of the moon and its reflection. The boats and coastline are painted in darker values, creating a striking contrast against the luminous backdrop and enhancing the scene’s depth. Falk’s brushwork is delicate yet confident; details of the boats’ rigging and the shoreline are painted with minimal strokes, allowing the eye to focus on the overall mood rather than on minute particulars. This approach lends the work an impressionistic quality, prioritizing the sensory experience of moonlight and the atmosphere of the scene over photographic realism. The viewer is invited to sense the quiet night air and the gentle lapping of water, as light dissolves into silence across the sleeping coastal landscape. The painting’s restrained color palette, dominated by silvery blues, soft blacks, and touches of white for the moon which reinforces the serene and contemplative mood. Boats in Moonlight thus exemplifies Falk’s ability to evoke poetry in nature, transforming a simple harbor view into a harmonious study of light and reflection at night.

Artist Background
Hjalmar Fredrik Falk was a Swedish artist and photographer active in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Born in Mora in 1856, he studied at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts in Stockholm from 1878 to 1884, initially focusing on oil painting under the tutelage of Per Daniel Holm. Over time, Falk developed a preference for watercolor, a medium in which he would achieve considerable mastery. In 1887 he settled in the coastal town of Karlshamn in Blekinge, and it was the maritime environment of this region that inspired much of his life’s work. Falk painted en plein air, always working outdoors to capture scenes directly from nature. He became particularly known for landscapes and city views rendered in watercolor, with favorite motifs being the coast, the sea, and the archipelago of southern Sweden. His works often depict harbors, shorelines, and boats, subjects through which he explored the interplay of light and water in different weather and times of day. Falk’s dedication to coastal and marine themes earned him recognition as one of Blekinge’s prominent painters, and he participated in many successful exhibitions in Sweden and abroad. By the time of his death in 1938, Falk had established a legacy as an accomplished watercolorist who captured the tranquil beauty of Sweden’s maritime landscape with sensitivity and skill.

Johan Johansson (1879–1951, Sweden)

Bird of Prey in a Snow-Covered Mountain Landscape, 1902

signed and dated lower right
watercolour, gouache and ink on paper
unframed 93 × 62 cm (36.6 × 24.4 in)
framed 110 × 79 cm (43.3 × 31.1 in)

Provenance:
Executed in 1902 during Johansson’s studies under Professor Anton Seder at the Kunstgewerbeschule in Strasbourg; A private collection, Sweden; Skånes Auktionsverk, 31 may 2014, lot 94; A private collection Denmark until we acquired it in 2025. 

Condition Report:
Very good overall condition. Paper slightly yellowed with age, as expected. Presented in its original oak veneer frame. For international shipping, the work will be delivered with plexiglass for safety. We recommend replacing with UV-protective museum glass upon arrival.

Essay:
This dramatic painting from 1902 was painted by Johan Johansson, a Swedish artist whose early twentieth-century career encompassed illustration, fine art, and decorative design. Born in 1879 in Sweden, Johansson pursued his studies during a period of artistic transformation in Europe, with the Jugendstil and Arts and Crafts movements challenging academic tradition through a focus on natural forms, stylization, and integration of art with everyday life. His formative education took place at the Kunstgewerbeschule in Strasbourg between 1901 and 1903, where he studied under the renowned designer and educator Anton Seder. The school, known for its synthesis of fine and applied arts, cultivated a generation of artists who bridged illustration, graphic design, and narrative painting.

Johansson’s time in Strasbourg deeply shaped his artistic outlook. He mastered ink and water-based media, developing a refined ability to combine linear precision with atmospheric colour. His works from this period reveal a fascination with dramatic compositions, animal studies, and romanticized landscapes—often rendered with a theatrical flair and a subtle symbolism. After completing his studies, Johansson travelled in Germany and Switzerland, absorbing influences from German romantic painting, Art Nouveau illustration, and the emerging Symbolist aesthetics of Central Europe.

The present work exemplifies Johansson’s skill in combining observation with imagination. It depicts a golden eagle landing on a snow-covered alpine rock, a smaller bird clutched in its talons. With wings outstretched and body poised in mid-motion, the eagle dominates the scene with a sense of muscular power and unyielding focus. The snowy conifers and distant mountains provide a dramatic backdrop, painted with broad washes and crisp ink outlines. The contrast between the warm, earthy tones of the eagle and the cool blue shadows of the snow lends the image both realism and expressive force.

Stylistically, the work recalls both naturalist wildlife studies and the poster-like boldness of Jugendstil illustration. Johansson’s approach is not merely decorative, however—it is psychological. The eagle, a symbol of strength and isolation, may reflect a deeper narrative about survival, dominance, or solitude. Such symbolism was often explored by artists of the Jugendstil era, who merged natural motifs with metaphorical meaning.

Although less widely known today, Johansson had a modest but consistent artistic career in Sweden following his return. He contributed to illustrated journals and book design and remained active as a painter of Nordic nature, often choosing motifs that reflected the sublime character of the Scandinavian landscape. His technical foundation and international exposure set him apart from many contemporaries, and this early work offers insight into the ambitions of a young artist steeped in the visual currents of turn-of-the-century Europe.

Thomas Charles Leeson Rowbotham (1823–1875), British

Evening on the Thames, near Bray, 1855

signed and dated TLRowbotham 1855 lower left
watercolour on paper
unframed 20.5 × 32 cm (8.1 × 12.6 in)
framed 45 × 56 cm (17.75 × 22 in)
the sheet is loose within the frame

Provenance:
Sold through Charles Nicholls and Son, art dealers;
Unknown private collection;
The Westcliffe Gallery, Norfolk, acquired 24 September 1988 for GBP 850;
Private collection, Norfolk area, 1988–2025;
Acquired by the present owner, 2025

Condition report
Very good condition, with clear and fresh colours. The paper is well preserved and stable.

Essay
Evening on the Thames, near Bray is a refined and atmospheric watercolour capturing the quiet beauty of the River Thames at dusk. The composition presents a broad, gently flowing stretch of river, its calm surface reflecting the warm glow of the setting sun. The sky is suffused with soft tones of rose, gold, and pale blue, gradually cooling as evening approaches. These colours are echoed in the water below, creating a harmonious unity between sky and river. Along the banks, trees and low vegetation are rendered with economy and sensitivity, framing the scene without disturbing its tranquil balance.

Rowbotham’s handling of watercolour is assured and subtle. Transparent washes establish the overall tonality, while more concentrated passages define form and depth. Highlights on the water and in the sky are delicately articulated, lending luminosity to the scene without sacrificing naturalism. The artist’s control of tonal transitions is particularly evident in the sky, where light dissolves gradually into shadow, suggesting both the passage of time and the stillness of the moment. The overall effect is contemplative rather than dramatic, emphasizing atmosphere and mood over narrative incident.

The choice of Bray as a motif is significant. Situated along a particularly picturesque reach of the Thames in Berkshire, Bray was long admired for its pastoral scenery and gentle river landscape. During the nineteenth century, this stretch of the river became a favored subject for artists, admired for its combination of open water, low banks, and softly undulating countryside. The Thames here offered views that aligned closely with contemporary ideals of the picturesque and the pastoral, making it an ideal setting for watercolour painting. By focusing on evening light, Rowbotham heightens the sense of calm and timelessness, presenting the river as a place of repose and continuity.

Within the broader context of British landscape painting, this work exemplifies the Victorian fascination with the Thames as both a national symbol and a source of visual poetry. The river was frequently depicted as a space removed from urban pressures, embodying stability, tradition, and natural beauty. Rowbotham’s painting participates fully in this tradition, presenting the Thames not as a site of commerce or industry, but as a serene and reflective landscape shaped by light and atmosphere.

Thomas Charles Leeson Rowbotham was a leading figure in the mid nineteenth century British watercolour tradition. Trained by his father, himself a respected watercolourist, Rowbotham developed a style rooted in the Romantic landscape tradition, with a strong emphasis on light effects and atmospheric conditions. He was deeply influenced by earlier masters of watercolour and landscape painting, particularly those who sought to balance accurate observation with poetic expression. By the time this work was executed in 1855, Rowbotham was firmly established as a professional artist, regularly exhibiting and widely admired for his technical refinement.

Rowbotham’s landscapes are characterized by their clarity, luminosity, and careful compositional structure. His frequent use of bodycolour to heighten light effects allowed him to achieve a richness and brilliance that appealed to Victorian collectors. At the same time, his works retain a sense of restraint and discipline, avoiding excess in favour of balanced harmony. In Evening on the Thames, near Bray, these qualities are fully evident. The painting combines technical finesse with a sensitive response to place, offering a distilled vision of the English river landscape at a moment of quiet transition.

Ferdinand Boberg (1860–1946)

Snow-Laden Trees

Ink and watercolor with black framing lines on cardboard
signed BOBERG.
18 x 13 cm (approx. 7.1 x 5.1 in)
frame: 40.5 x 35 cm (approx. 15.9 x 13.8 in)

Ferdinand Boberg was one of Sweden’s foremost architects around the turn of the twentieth century, responsible for iconic buildings such as the Central Post Office, Nordiska Kompaniet, and Rosenbad. After retiring from architecture in 1915, he turned increasingly to art. Together with his wife, the artist Anna Boberg, he travelled extensively throughout Sweden, producing thousands of drawings and watercolors that documented both urban environments and rural landscapes. Many of these works were later published in the celebrated series Svenska bilder (Swedish Images).

In Snow-Laden Trees, Boberg captures the serene atmosphere of a Swedish winter. Heavy snow rests on trees along the water’s edge, their reflections shimmering on the dark surface below. Subtle washes of blue and violet convey the crisp air and stillness of the scene, while touches of earthy brown bring warmth to the otherwise cool palette.

The composition reflects Boberg’s dual sensibility: the structural precision of an architect combined with the poetic vision of an artist. Works like this reveal how Boberg’s legacy extends beyond architecture, preserving Sweden’s landscapes with the same sensitivity and clarity that defined his buildings.

Ferdinand Boberg (1860–1946)

View from Strandvägen towards Djurgården, Stockholm

Watercolor on paper
signed BOBERG - STOCKHOLM -
c. 16 x 22 cm (6 ¼ x 8 ¾ in)
framed 33 x 38 cm (13 x 15 in)

Essay:
This delicate watercolor by Ferdinand Boberg captures a tranquil winter view across the water from Strandvägen towards Djurgården in Stockholm. The composition is anchored by the unmistakable silhouette of the Nordiska Museet rising above the trees, a landmark that places the scene firmly within the city’s cultural heart.

Boberg’s talent as both architect and artist is evident in the precision of the architectural details and the sensitivity with which he renders the soft blanket of snow. The muted palette of pale blues, greys and whites evokes the quiet stillness of a Stockholm winter, while the small boat in the foreground adds a touch of intimacy and life to the frozen scene.

As one of Sweden’s foremost architects, Boberg helped shape the modern face of Stockholm, but it was through his drawings and watercolors that he preserved the city’s atmosphere with such lyrical charm. This work is a fine example of his ability to merge architectural observation with artistic sensibility, offering both a document of place and a poetic interpretation of Stockholm in winter.

Egron Sellif Lundgren (1815–1875) Sweden

Resting Dromedar, 1861

watercolour heightened with white
unframed 21 x 29.2 cm (8 ¼ x 11 ½ in.)
framed 40 x 48 cm (15 ¾ x 18 ⅞ in.)

Provenance:
Sale, Stockholm, Bukowskis, 12 December 1894, lot 42;
Signe and Ernst Trygger (1857–1943), Villa Trygger, Stockholm. Ernst Trygger was Swedish Prime Minister (1923–24), Minister of Foreign Affairs (1928–30) and University Chancellor (1926–37);  A Swedish private collection. 

Literature:
Förteckning på oljemålningar, aquareller och handteckningar m.m. av Egron Lundgren utställda i Akademien för de fria konsterna, 1876, no. 259.
Karl Asplund, Egron Lundgren, Vol. II, 1940, p. 40, note 1, p. 166.

Exhibited:
The Royal Academy, Egron Lundgren, 10 April 1876, no. 259.
Sveriges Allmänna Konstförening, Memorial Exhibition, February 1915, no. 70, Hvilande kameler (owner Ernst Trygger).
The Royal Academy, Svenska Akvareller (Swedish Watercolor Exhibition), 1925, no. 224, Vilande kameler (owner Signe Trygger).

Essay:
This delicate watercolour, executed during Lundgren’s first journey to Egypt in the winter of 1861–62, depicts a resting dromedary in the shade at Giza. Painted in transparent washes with touches of white gouache, the work captures the intense desert light and atmosphere with a remarkable immediacy. The reclining animal dominates the composition, rendered in warm ochres and browns against a cool, shadowy background, while highlights on its saddle and coat give the scene a subtle radiance. The quiet stillness of the subject reflects Lundgren’s sensitivity to the everyday motifs of the Orient, which he observed and painted directly on site.

Lundgren travelled to Egypt in the company of two British artists, Frank Dillon (1823-1909) and George Price Boyce (1926-1897). They initially rented a house by the Nile in the village of Giza, living in what Lundgren described as “oriental style,” before moving on to Cairo in January 1862. From there, they explored and painted the surrounding landscape, monuments, and urban life. The presence of camels and dromedaries in daily scenes around the Nile provided him with natural subjects for study. This watercolour likely belongs to that body of work, in which Lundgren combined sharp observation with a painterly freshness, setting him apart from the more academic studio-bound orientalists of his time.

On 15th January Lundgren wrote from Kairo (G. Nordensvan, Egron Lundgren, Reseskildringar, anteckningar och bref, 1905, p. 248):

”Vårt fattiga lilla Gizeh med sina lerhus och palmer, tält och kameler snarare hviskar ännu om patriarkernas tidsålder och tycks vara så gammalt som Genesis. Glittrar den breda Nilen ännu såsom när Moses stod på dess strand, och i stilla kvällen, när fårskockar och getter, lägra sig nere vid vattenbrynet, sitta de trötta herdarna i aftonsolen så bruna som om de var var porfyrstoder, nyss uppgrävda från något underjordiskt tempel. Här flyger Ibis ännu över de tysta vattendragen  i palmskogarna, och om natten går månen upp på den underligt klara stjärnhimmeln och tyckes liksom söka sin gamla Isis-dyrkan. De mysteriösa, uråldriga pyramiderna stodo hvar morgon där spöklika, gåtlika med den tomma öknen bakom sig, och det var därföre icke att undra på om dagen blev full af drömmar om långt förflutna tider.” (“Our poor little Giza with its mud houses and palm trees, tents and camels rather still whispers of the age of the patriarchs and seems to be as old as Genesis. Does the wide Nile still glitter as when Moses stood on its banks?, and in the still evening, when sheepherds and goats, camp down by the water's edge, the weary shepherds sit in the evening sun as brown as if they were pillars of porphyry, just dug up from some subterranean temple. Here the ibis still flies over the quiet watercourses in the palm groves, and at night the moon rises in the strangely clear starry sky and seems to seek her old worship of Isis. The mysterious, ancient pyramids stood every morning ghostly, enigmatic with the empty desert behind them, and it was therefore no wonder if the day became full of dreams of times long past.”

In En målares anteckningar (A Painters diary), Vol. III, 1873, Lundgren writes in details about his stay in Egypt. His description of the house they rented in Gizeh is of great interest since it shows that foreign artists lived a most comfortable life when they visited the orient, also remote parts (p. 12):

”Vi tåga in och taga i besittning ett stort stenhus, som tillhörde Fuad el Pascha. Nilen sqvalpade upp mot ena sidan så att vi hade kunnat meta från fönsterna. Huset var för övrigt alldeles tomt,  så att vi måste från Cairo låta hämta husgeråd, sängkläder, betjening, en kock med tillbehör och mycket, som icke omtalas i tusen och en natt, men som ändock är svårt att undvara. Det blev också nödvändigt att skaffa oss ett slags österländsk klädebonad för att kunna vara mer ogenerade, och såsom skydd mot solhettan lindades turbaner omkring hattarna; min var broderad med gult silke, som lyste likt guld. Vi redo på små smalbenta borickor [åsnor]  med granna utstickande marokindsadlar, och var och en hade sin löpare efter sig. /Vårt hus låg , som sagt, alldeles ned vid  flodbrädden och över porten hängde, enligt bruket i Egypten, skinnet af en stor krokodil, vilket tros, om icke medföra lycka åtminstone skrämma bort mycket ont och vara en talisman emot all slags förtrollning. Vi hade en portfaktare, Mahommed,  en gammal gråskäggige Nubier, och dessutom två karlar, Ibrahim kammartjenare och Abdallah kock. / I övre våningen hade vi flera rymliga och ljusa rum med divaner och balkonger, ifrån hvilka utsikterna voro vidsträckta och vackra.” (We march in and take possession of a large stone house, which belonged to Fuad el Pascha. The Nile squalled up to one side so that we could have ten fishing from the windows. The house was otherwise completely empty, so that we had to have order household utensils, bedding, servants, a cook with accessories and much more from Cairo, which is not mentioned in a thousand and one nights, but which is nevertheless difficult to do without. It also became necessary to get us a kind of Eastern clothing in order to be more insolent, and as a protection against the heat of the sun turbans were wrapped around the hats; mine was embroidered with yellow silk, which shone like gold. We were ready on small narrow-legged boricas [donkeys] with protruding moroccon saddles, and each had his runner behind him. / Our house was, as I have mentioned, located by the river and over the gate hung, according to the custom in Egypt, the skin of a large crocodile, which is believed to, if not bring happiness, at least scare away much evil and be a talisman against all kinds of enchantment. We had a porter, Mahommed, an old grey-bearded Nubian, and also two men, Ibrahim the butler and Abdallah the cook. / On the upper floor we had several spacious and bright rooms with divans and balconies, from which the views were extensive and beautiful.)

The Egyptian journey marked an important stage in Lundgren’s career. Already well established as a painter of Spanish scenes and as a celebrated war correspondent and artist during the Indian Rebellion, he now turned his attention to the landscapes and people of the Middle East. The Orientalist subjects he produced in Egypt resonated with the European fascination for the exotic and the ancient, but they also carry a sense of authenticity, born from direct encounter and the spontaneity of watercolour.

Lundgren’s international career had taken him from studies in Paris and Rome to long residencies in Spain and London, where he gained the patronage of Queen Victoria. His mastery of watercolour brought him election to the Royal Society of Painters in Water Colours in 1864, and his works were admired both in Sweden and abroad. The Egyptian sojourn of 1861–62 enriched his oeuvre with luminous Orientalist motifs, among which Resting Dromedar stands as a fine example. Exhibited in Sweden on several occasions, including the memorial exhibition of 1915, and with a provenance linking it to the Trygger collection, the painting today survives as both a lyrical desert study and a cultural document of Lundgren’s artistic journeys.

References

• Egron Lundgren, En målares anteckningar (A Painter’s Diary), Vols. I–III, 1871–73.
• Karl Asplund, Egron Lundgren, Vols. I–II, Stockholm, 1914–40.
• J. L. Roget, A History of the Old Watercolour Society, Vol. II, London 1891.
• G. Nordensvan, Egron Lundgren. Reseskildringar, anteckningar och bref, Stockholm, 1905.
• Svenskt Biografiskt Lexikon, “Egron S. Lundgren.”
• Nationalmuseum, Svenska akvarellmålare under 1800-talet, exhibition catalogue, Stockholm 1981.

Villa Trygger, erected 1914 after a design by Ivar Tengbom

Egron Sellif Lundgren (1815-1875) Sweden

Studies of Sheep and Goat Heads, Cairo (c. 1871)

watercolor on paper
unframed 18 x 30 cm (7 ⅛ x 11 ¾ in.)
framed 30 x 41 cm (11 ¾ x 16 ⅛ in.)

This sheet features four close-up studies focusing on the heads of goats or sheep. Each animal’s head is drawn from a different angle: one profile highlights a pair of curved horns, while another face is viewed head-on. Lundgren uses warm brown watercolor washes on off-white paper, adding soft shading to model the contours of the animals’ faces. The simplicity of the sketches – with no background – directs all attention to the animals’ features. Created during Lundgren’s journey to Egypt (c. 1871), this detailed yet understated study exemplifies the artist’s neutral documentation of his surroundings in watercolor.

Egron Sellif Lundgren (1815-1875) Sweden

Studies of Goat Heads and Figures, Cairo (c. 1871)

watercolor on paper
visible area 21 x 31 cm (8 ¼ x 12 ¼ in.)
framed 34 x 43 cm (13 ⅜ x 16 ⅞ in.)

Here Lundgren concentrates on individual studies of goats, especially their heads and expressions. In one sketch, a goat faces forward, its distinctive long ears and gentle features carefully rendered. Other small drawings show side views and a pair of goats resting together. Working on brown-toned paper, Lundgren contrasts dark sepia tones with touches of white paint to suggest sunlight on fur and horns. These informal, fragmentary studies give a lively impression of animals observed in the moment. They were likely made in Cairo around 1871, when Lundgren was documenting everyday life in quick watercolor sketches

Egron Sellif Lundgren (1815-1875) Sweden

Goats and Sheep in Various Poses, Cairo (c. 1871)

watercolor on paper
unframed 22.5 x 21 cm (8 ⅞ x 8 ¼ in.)
framed 36 x 33 cm (14 ⅛ x 13 in.)

This study presents multiple views of goats and sheep drawn across a single sheet. Lundgren depicts the animals in different poses – a light-colored goat standing in profile, a dark goat or sheep curled up, and others sketched in outline. He works on tinted paper, applying brown watercolor washes and bold white highlights to make the figures stand out. The use of the gray-brown paper as mid-tone gives depth to the quick sketches. Made during Lundgren’s time in Cairo (circa 1871), the sheet reflects his practice of sketching local animals from life with fluid, spontaneous brushwork

Egron Sellif Lundgren (1815-1875) Sweden

Studies of Goats and Sheep, Cairo (c. 1871)

watercolor on paper
visible area 20.5 x 30.5 cm (8 x 12 in.)
framed 34 x 43.5 cm (13 ⅜ x 17 ⅛ in.)

Swedish artist Egron Lundgren sketched a small herd of goats and sheep resting together in this scene. Two goats recline quietly at the center while another stands nearby, creating a calm, balanced composition. Lundgren uses light brown watercolor washes and fine pencil lines to define the animals on a mostly blank page. The word “Cairo” appears on the sheet, linking it to his visit to Egypt around 1871. Drawn from life, this study showcases Lundgren’s neutral observation of everyday subjects, capturing the gentle posture and natural grouping of the animals he encountered.

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.