Edvard Andersson - a modern colour explosion: Part III

During the autumn of 2024, Stockholms Auktionsverk successfully sold a collection of works by the relatively unknown modernist Edvard Andersson. Now, we are delighted to present additional works from the artist’s estate.

In addition to paintings, this time we also showcase a selection of tapestries created by Andersson’s daughter-in-law, Elsa-Maria Andersson. These textiles are interpretations of her father-in-law’s abstract paintings and watercolors. Elsa-Maria was an active textile artist for five decades, working both from Edvard Andersson’s originals and developing her own artistic voice. She did not adhere to any specific weaving technique but instead relied on her unique sense of how different yarns could convey color and form.

Edvard Andersson (1891–1967) lived through the birth, rise, and development of modernism. With an open mind and a deep interest in the essence of art and its multifaceted expressions, he actively followed and was inspired by the international art scene throughout his life. The result is a striking body of work, demonstrating both confidence and experimental modernism. Andersson, who grew up in the working-class neighborhoods of Helsingborg, displayed a pronounced talent for drawing from an early age. His parents, who ran a tobacco shop, managed to save enough money to support his studies in Stockholm. In 1916, he enrolled at the Higher School of Industrial Art, now known as Konstfack, to train as a drawing teacher.

At the age of 27, in 1918, Andersson held his first exhibition at Killbergs Art Salon in Helsingborg. After completing his studies in Stockholm, he worked as a drawing teacher, a profession he maintained alongside his artistic career, which allowed him the freedom to paint without financial pressure. This resulted in an independent and expressive artistic voice. During the 1920s and 1930s, Andersson focused on portraiture, incorporating elements of Cubism. By the 1940s, he had begun to explore abstraction, a journey that culminated in the 1950s with bold, colorful compositions characterized by decorative, linear forms. These works often contained figurative elements, such as stylized female figures or dynamic, suggestive movements. While no single artist can be pinpointed as his primary influence, his work bears clear parallels to that of Gösta Adrian-Nilsson, whose style, in turn, was shaped by the international avant-garde that Andersson keenly followed.

In 1956, Andersson exhibited as many as 500 works in a major solo exhibition at the prestigious “Den Frie Udstillning” in Copenhagen. Many of the pieces featured in the current auction were part of that exhibition, including Kalejdoskop, Rythmus, and Havsgeometri. These works present kaleidoscopic compositions that distort the perception of time and space, blending the concrete with the abstract.

Skåne remained Andersson’s artistic and personal home. Helsingborg was his base, while Hovs Hallar provided a dramatic summer retreat for his creative work. In the fishing village of Knäbäck on Österlen, he connected with fellow artists and cultural figures. Andersson was known for constantly sketching—his family recalled him drawing even during Sunday dinners and walks. His relentless creativity was as much a calling as a passion. In addition to art, he was deeply interested in philosophy, mathematics, and, above all, the people around him—an aspect that subtly influenced his work.

During his lifetime, Edvard Andersson remained largely unknown to the broader public. Beyond the previously mentioned exhibitions, he also showcased his work in Stockholm and Malmö, and posthumously in Paris and Florida. Interestingly, he gained greater recognition abroad than in Sweden, with features in leading art publications such as La Quotidienne, Le Peintre, Nouveaux Jours, and La Revue.