Female Artists - Famous & Forgotten VII

The collection being auctioned at Crafoord Auctions Stockholm features both renowned and, not least, forgotten Swedish female artists who were active primarily during the first half of the 20th century. All of them were independent artists who, during their lifetimes, never received the recognition they truly deserved.
With nearly 130 works by over 80 artists working in various techniques, the auction offers a journey through art history — from the late 19th century up until today. Well-known names are represented, such as Agda Holst, Josefina Holmlund, Charlotte Wahlström, Karin Broos, Madeleine Pyk, Eva Bagge, Ester Henning, Marie-Louise Ekman De Geer, Ester Almqvist, Maja Fjaestad, and Tora Vega Holmström. Also included are lesser-known and rarely seen artists, such as Pablo Picasso’s model “The Girl with the Ponytail” — Sylvette David, with a work from 1954, Brita von Sydow-Södöö, and Beata Mårtensson Brummer with an owl portrait from 1937.
Some of the highlights of the auction include a fresh painting by Dagny Cassel, a beautiful and colorful Stockholm scene by Helena Aperia Meurling, Ellen Trotzig’s portrait of her friend Constance Palmlund, and Mollie Faustman’s expressive landscape from Hälsingland, among others. In addition, there are graphic works by three exciting artists: Ulla Fries with The Philosopher, Britta Marakatt-Labba, and Ragnhild Nordensten.
On the sculpture side, highlights include two reliefs by Vivi Calissendorff.
A key exhibition for female artists was Liljevalchs’ They Went to Paris in 1988, which highlighted Nordic painting from the 1880s. A total of 250 works were shown, including those by Hanna Pauli and Helene Schjerfbeck. What united these artists was their connection to 1880s Paris, where women could receive an education and live under freer conditions than in their home countries. The exhibition became one of the major public successes of the 1980s.
This auction also includes works by later generations of female artists who studied in the artistic capital of Paris, such as Agda Holst, Mollie Faustman, Brita Nordencreutz, Birgit Forssell, and Greta Fahlcrantz Lindberg — all students of either Henri Matisse or André Lhote. Other Swedish artists who made study trips to Paris and are now featured include Greta Lundén, Brita af Klercker, and Else Hermansson.
In more recent years, considerable efforts have been made to highlight important female artists. This work has resulted in artists like Sigrid Hjertén, Vera Nilsson, and Siri Derkert now being ranked just as highly as their male contemporaries. One important project was Moderna Museet’s The Other Museum of Wishes (2006–2009), which aimed to complement the collection with works by female artists, primarily from the first half of the 20th century. The museum acquired, among other works, Tora Vega Holmström’s Strangers. Major exhibitions have also been dedicated to artists who were previously overlooked, such as Julia Beck, Eva Bonnier, and Hilma af Klint.
Piece by piece, art history is being put right. Talents who, due to the norms of their time, were pushed into the shadows are now coming into the light. There is still much work to be done and much more to discover, and we hope this themed auction contributes to that effort!