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Between 7 and 21 May, The Exclusive Collection will be on view at Nybrogatan 32 in Stockholm – culminating in a live auction on 22 May. The curated sale features more than 100 of the season’s finest works, with six paintings by Bruno Liljefors (1860–1939) standing out as major highlights. These works reflect the artist’s deep bond with nature – from fox hunting in wintry landscapes to sun-drenched scenes from his life as an artist in the French village of Grez-sur-Loing.
“Fox Stalking Thrushes” – A Masterpiece in the Forest’s Shadows
In the evocative oil painting Fox Stalking Thrushes, Liljefors captures a moment of intense focus. The fox’s movement is almost imperceptible, its body partially hidden in the underbrush, while the unsuspecting thrushes flutter through dappled light. It is a quiet tableau of natural drama, where every blade of grass and shadowed contour adds to the compositional tension.
Dated 1887, the work is not only technically virtuosic – it is also rich in symbolism, exploring themes of hunting, survival, and ecological balance. It has been exhibited internationally, including at ARKEN Museum of Modern Art in Copenhagen in 2005, and is published in Allan Ellenius’s book Bruno Liljefors – Nature as Habitat. It is widely considered a pinnacle of Liljefors’ fox imagery.
“Girl in Grez” and “Bridge in Grez” – Continental Elegance in Brush and Tone
In this unique diptych, consisting of two panel paintings created around 1887, we encounter Liljefors during his stays in Grez-sur-Loing – the artist colony in France that attracted Nordic painters like Carl Larsson and Karin Bergöö. These works reveal a rarer side of Liljefors: one of French greenery, riverbank serenity, and a visual language touched by Japanese aesthetics.
The blue tones in the girl’s dress gently echo the river’s hues in the companion painting. Through elegant brushwork, influences from Japanese art, and a refined sense of compositional balance, Liljefors delivers a light, airy quality that contrasts with his more dramatic wildlife scenes.
“Returning from the Fox Hunt” – Nordic Light and Poetic Stillness
In Returning from the Fox Hunt, dated 1891, Liljefors presents a nostalgic vision following his return from France – filled with longing for the crisp poetry of Nordic winter. A hunter, a fox, and two dogs cross a snow-covered terrain under fading light. The fox’s lush tail stands in visual contrast to the hunter’s coat – a silent echo of nature’s cycle and man’s place within it.
Here, the hunt is not just a subject, but a metaphor: the human figure adopts the role of predator, mirroring the alertness and intent so often portrayed in Liljefors’ animal studies. This work unites man and beast within nature’s rhythm – as much a story as a painting.
From Fox to Black Grouse – Liljefors in Full Spectrum
In addition to these works, The Exclusive Collection features three more exquisite pieces by Liljefors, each representing some of the most iconic and beloved themes of his artistic repertoire. Here we encounter the quintessential Liljefors: the fox, the hunter, and the Swedish forest – all rendered with the natural sensitivity and technical mastery that made him an icon of Nordic landscape painting.
In Black Grouse on a Branch (1887), rendered in ink, watercolor, and opaque white, Liljefors presents a delicate yet detailed study, visibly inspired by Japanese art – a style he embraced during the 1880s. The piece also boasts a remarkable provenance: it once belonged to the famed industrialist Ivar Kreuger and was illustrated in his celebrated auction catalogue.
Fox in a Forest Landscape (1926) revisits one of the artist’s most cherished subjects. Here, in his later years, Liljefors refined his technique with broader brushwork, deeper hues, and heightened emotional depth.
In Hunter with Hounds and Fox (1924), human and animal move in unison through a charged winter scene. The figures are bound together in a composition that breathes harmony, yet hums with tension. The painting was last sold at Bukowskis’ Autumn Auction in 2013 and has remained in private hands since.
Six Works Among Over 100 Curated Highlights
Liljefors is represented by six of the more than 100 carefully selected top lots in this season’s edition of The Exclusive Collection – a curated presentation where Stockholms Auktionsverk’s specialists have handpicked the finest the market currently has to offer. The auction showcases art, design, antiques, and collectibles of exceptional quality and international relevance.
Specialist’s View: Cecilia Berggren on Liljefors and Nature’s Presence on Canvas
We asked Cecilia Berggren, specialist in classical art at Stockholms Auktionsverk, to share her thoughts on the enduring relevance of Bruno Liljefors and the featured works in this auction.
Cecilia Berggren, specialist in classical art at Stockholms Auktionsverk
Why is Bruno Liljefors still relevant today?
“Liljefors had a unique ability to depict the conditions of animal life with both respect and intensity. These are not just beautiful nature scenes – they’re about life and death, motion and stillness. He captured moments we rarely notice in real life. That makes his art timeless.”
How do these works stand out from the rest of his oeuvre?
“Together, they demonstrate Liljefors’ full range. Fox Stalking Thrushes is a refined study of predatory behavior, while Girl in Grez and Bridge in Grez show how he absorbed international influences and Japanese stylistic elements. Returning from the Fox Hunt offers a more narrative and Nordic tone, where the human figure becomes part of the landscape.”
Which of these works do you believe will attract the most collector interest?
“Each has its own strengths, but Fox Stalking Thrushes is a world-class piece – both technically and emotionally. It has been exhibited at major museums, which makes it particularly attractive to collectors seeking an iconic Liljefors work.”
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