Olle Hjortzberg - Portrait of a Young Boy in Red
Normaler Preis 44 097 krOlle Hjortzberg (1872-1959) Sweden
Portrait of a Young Boy in Red
oil on board
signed with monogram OH
unframed 41 x 31.5 cm (16 1/8 x 12 3/8 in)
framed 51 x 41.5 cm (20 1/8 x 16 3/8 in)
Provenance:
A Swedish private collection.
Background and Artistic Journey
Olle Hjortzberg (1872–1959) was a prominent Swedish painter and illustrator whose career spanned the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Trained at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts in Stockholm, he quickly distinguished himself for his mastery of form and composition. Following his academic studies, he embarked on extensive travels across Europe and the Near East. These journeys had a lasting impact on his palette and approach, inspiring a vibrant, sun-infused color sensibility that would remain a hallmark of his work. While he would go on to become widely known for his decorative church murals and large-scale commissions—including the official poster for the 1912 Stockholm Olympics—Hjortzberg also produced a more intimate body of work, to which this portrait belongs.
Composition and Style
This painting presents a striking portrait of a young Black boy draped in a deep crimson garment, captured in three-quarter view against a textured, warm-toned background.
The contrast between the boy’s skin and the rich folds of the red fabric is handled with extraordinary sensitivity, evoking both academic discipline and painterly warmth. The golden-ochre background envelops the figure in a subtle halo of light, lending the composition a quiet dignity. The confident modeling of the face and fabric suggests an artist deeply attuned to both physical presence and emotional resonance.
Subject Significance and Context
Portraits of individuals of African descent were rare in Nordic art at the early 1900s, and this work stands out for its empathy and composure. The boy’s identity remains unknown, but the portrait was likely painted in Hjortzberg’s Stockholm studio, circa 1930–1940. What makes this portrait exceptional is its lack of exoticism: the subject is presented not as a trope or costume figure, but as a child—present, dignified, and thoughtfully observed. The rich red garment, flowing like a cloak, emphasizes the boy’s quiet strength and individual presence. It is this humanist lens—so essential to Hjortzberg’s artistic ethos—that elevates the portrait beyond mere study into something more enduring and sincere.
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