Good Art XX

Crafoord Auktioner presents the themed auction God Konst XX, in which the month's selection of interesting artists and works is brought to the fore. These deserve to be part of a context and will hopefully brighten many walls.
We now champion art and present over 250 works by artists such as: Linn Fernström, Jockum Nordström, Jan Håfström, Hans Wigert, Philip von Schantz, Helge Lindén, Staffan Hallström, Erland Cullberg, Bengt Orup, Donald Baechler, Jacques Villon, Jean Tinguely, Auguste Herbin, Soulages, Jean Cocteau, Alfred Helberger, Akseli Gallen-Kallela and others.
Muhammad Ali (USA, 1942–2016) is above all known as one of the greatest and most influential figures in boxing history. As a multiple world champion he became famous for his speed, charisma and uncompromising personality, as well as for his political and social engagement. Less well known is that Ali also devoted himself to visual art, creating drawings and graphic works. Muhammad Ali's signed screenprint Sting Like a Bee (1978) is therefore a particularly interesting work in the auction. The title connects to his famous expression "Float like a butterfly, sting like a bee."
Among the highlights are also several works by the Estonian artists Vive Tolli, Olev Mikiver and Herman Talvik.
Nordic Light is an art historical and aesthetic concept that describes how the distinctive light conditions of the Nordic countries have been depicted and used as a means of expression in art. In this auction the concept is represented by Anders Altzar's painting Vinternatt from 1909, August Berg's and Edward Rosenberg's Alpine Motifs, and Rolf Mellström's motif of migrating birds from 1917.
The auction further includes a collection of art journals, among them Verve, Derrière le Miroir and Art d'Aujourd'hui, with original prints. There are also vintage posters by among others Kjartan Slettemark, with the iconic Nixon motif Thank You Very Musch, as well as works by Yves Klein, Andy Warhol, Pablo Picasso, Roy Lichtenstein, Robert Rauschenberg and Marcel Duchamp.
The name God Konst has been used in other contexts before. In 1941 the exhibition "GOD KONST I ALLA HEM" — Good Art in Every Home — opened under the auspices of HSB. The aim of the exhibition was to advocate for good art in people's homes. The catalogue's foreword notes that it is not enough to build good housing — art must also have its place. The main principle was to offer good art to a broader public at affordable prices. To guarantee that the art was truly "good", a jury of well-known artists and art critics was engaged to review the works to be exhibited. The result was that it was possible to buy, for example, GAN's oil painting Berns 1918 for 5,000 kronor, the tempera Ratten for 350 kronor and Laboratorium for 500 kronor. Other names involved in the project of art for the people included Oskar Bergman, Einar Jolin, Arne Jones, Isaac Grünewald, Sixten Lundbohm, and Erik and Axel Olson. The exhibition's 10th anniversary was shown at Liljevalchs Konsthall in Stockholm.
That same year, 1941, Gunnar Hjorthén (1913–1997) opened Galleri God Konst on Vallgatan in Gothenburg. He came to be regarded as something of an institution in Gothenburg's art life. The gallery subsequently moved to, among other locations, Drottninggatan, the Concert Hall and Södra vägen. Hjorthén devoted himself to promoting and championing "young art", with artists such as Ivan Ivarson, Karin Parrow, Ragnar Sandberg and Inge Schiöler. In large part thanks to Hjorthén and Galleri God Konst, the Gothenburg Colourists became a recognised movement. Like Svensk-Franska Konstgalleriet, Hjorthén turned early to Paris and through the gallery conveyed contact with the new painting. In 1953, for example, Tsugoharu Foujita was exhibited.
Welcome to the viewing and let yourself be inspired. Auction: 15 September. Viewing: Crafoord Auktioner, Galoppvägen 3, Täby. Monday–Friday 1–5 pm.