Racken and Arvika

The gathered artists are a collective force that, through their, albeit different but still common, endeavors, awaken, give, and spread beauty." These were the opening words in a speech by Maja Fjaestad at the opening of the Arvika exhibition in 1911.
Karlstad-Hammarö Auction House is proud to present a selection of art, crafts, and furniture with connections to the Värmland town of Arvika and its surroundings. At the turn of the 19th to the 20th century, artists and craftsmen were drawn to the countryside by national romantic ideals, where nature and traditions were central, and rural areas had not yet been influenced by the modernization of cities. The Taserud-born Christian Eriksson, who had lived in Paris in the 1890s, longed to return home and built the residence and studio Oppstuhage near his parents' home in Taserud.
At the turn of the century, Eriksson allowed the artists Gustaf and Maja Fjaestad to live, thrive, and create. The artistic tradition during the 20th century is strong in Arvika, and Christian Eriksson and the Fjaestad couple inspired several artists, both contemporary and the next generation of artists and craftsmen. The artists and craftsmen of early 20th-century Arvika managed to create an environment characterized by closeness to nature, creativity, and community, a feeling that still exists today.
One of the auction's top items, Christian Eriksson's "Kvinnoansikte" (Woman's Face) in bronze, conceived in Paris in 1901, is particularly interesting. The woman's face was later used in the portal decoration of Sundsvalls Enskilda Bank on Fredsgatan 4 in Stockholm. The auction also offers several items from Architect Ludvig Mattsson's collection (1888-1960), including a rare "stabbestol" (staff chair) executed by Ola Eriksson, a romantic landscape by Fritz Lindström from the Stockholm archipelago, and folk furniture with connections to Western Värmland. Works by artists active in the Racken group are presented in a winter landscape by Gustaf Fjaestad, works by Maja Fjaestad, Fritz Lindström, Bror Lindh, and Alfred Ekstam from Mangskogen.
The catalog includes ceramic works by Hilma Persson-Hjelm, brass crafts by Lars Holmström, and a very rare brass tray by the chaser and craftsman Lisa Morell (Andersson), also known as "Kopparlisa" (Copper Lisa). The auction is an excellent opportunity to acquire an item with true Värmland spirit, where the tradition of Arvika is embodied in the objects.