Sune Jonsson

We at Norrlands Auktionsverk are proud to present a previously undiscovered collection of 57 original photographs by the world-renowned and highly acclaimed photographer Sune Jonsson (1930–2009).
This exclusive collection contains images from his mission to Congo in 1963, during the turbulent "Congo Crisis and Mobutu Era." Several works are stamped and signed.
Through this daring journey for its time, we as viewers gain an intimate insight into a country in deep poverty during one of Congo's most troubled periods. To embark on such a journey as he did at that time was unique for a Swede, and now, over 60 years later, we are fortunate to witness these magnificent photographs in their original form—something we at the auction house never anticipated.
Sune Jonsson was the second Swede to win the prestigious Hasselblad Award!
In 1993, he was honored with the Hasselblad Award (previously won by Lennart Nilsson in 1980) for "outstanding photographic achievements." In 1995, he was named an honorary doctor of agriculture at the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU) and, in 2001, an honorary doctor of philosophy at Umeå University.
Most people recognize Sune Jonsson's photographs for their depictions of hardworking people in rural areas during his era.
In 1963, at the young age of just 33, Sune was already a photographic genius, meaning every aspect of his craft—sharpness, focal length, aperture, etc.—was executed with perfection, even at this early stage of his career.
What we at Norrlands Auktionsverk find so extraordinary about Sune Jonsson's photographs is that, despite the fact that his works in this special auction depict people in Congo living in what most would consider extreme poverty, he still managed to capture an inner strength in each photograph—a vitality and fighting spirit that ensure his images rarely feel sorrowful. At the same time, deep emotions are evident in his perspective.
For example, one photograph in the auction portrays a man during a funeral ceremony. Sune managed to capture the exact moment where sadness does not overwhelm, and a light for the future can still be felt, even as grief for the loss lingers.
This same feeling resonates when we see Sune Jonsson's photographs depicting rural Sweden. Somehow, he captured moments that were surely challenging or harsh for those he photographed, yet we, as modern viewers, can still perceive hope, compassion, and a sense of community in every image.
That the photographs in this auction will be digitized and available to the public through Auctionet is a true treasure.
Provenance: The collection originates from a gift by the photographer to a close friend and African specialist who accompanied Sune on his journey to Congo. It was later inherited by the current owner.
Literature:
Bilder av Kongo: Från en mission (Images of Congo: From a Mission), by Sune Jonsson. Hardcover book. LT's Publishing, 1965. Designer: Jane Degerman.
Additional information and collections from the journey to Congo can be found at Moderna Museet and through the Society of Friends of Sune Jonsson, among others.
Research indicates that some of the photographs in this collection have likely never been shown to the public before.