Good Art XVII

Crafoord Auktioner Stockholm presents the themed auction God Konst XVII, in which this month's selection of interesting artists and works is brought to the fore. These deserve to be part of a context and, it is hoped, to grace many walls.
We now champion the cause of art and present nearly 250 works by artists such as: Man Ray, Jan Håfström, Hans Hartung, James Rosenquist, Jockum Nordström, Julio Le Parc, Joan Miró, Wilhelm Freddie, Marc Chagall, Aly Ben Salem, Roberto Matta, Ossip Zadkine, Pierre Alechinsky, Rasmus Rosengaard, Enrico Baj, Erró, Pablo Picasso, Dieter Roth, John Piper, Lennart Jirlow, Antoni Clavé, Wifredo Lam, and others.
Among the highlights is an interesting collection of lithographic posters from the 1950s–70s, including works by Picasso, Joan Miró and Braque. Smaller themes within the theme are also presented, including around ten large original works by the artist Torbjörn Östman (born 1948). We also highlight a fascinating collection of literature and art journals containing original prints, among them Miró Lithographe, Derrière le Miroir, XXe Siècle and more.
Other gems include Bengt Hedberg's and August Lundberg's "Månskenslandskap", Allen Jones's signed lithographs from the 1960s, and works by the surrealists Wilhelm Freddie and Vilhelm Bjerke-Petersen. On the sculpture side, the auction is represented by among others Torsten Molander, several works by Stan Wys, Carl Milles, Gunnar Heide, Liss Eriksson, Carl Eldh, Timo Solin and Herman Neujd.
The name God Konst has been used in other contexts before. In 1941, the exhibition "GOD KONST I ALLA HEM" – Good Art in Every Home – opened under the auspices of HSB. The ambition of the exhibition was to promote good art in the home. The catalogue's foreword notes that it is not enough to build good housing – art must also be given its place. The guiding principle was to offer good art to a broader public at affordable prices. To ensure that the art was truly "good", a jury of well-known artists and art critics was engaged to review the works to be exhibited. As a result, it was possible, for example, to purchase GAN's oil painting Berns 1918 for 5,000 kronor, the tempera Ratten for 350 kronor and Laboratorium for 500 kronor. Other names involved in the project of art for the people included Oskar Bergman, Einar Jolin, Arne Jones, Isaac Grünewald, Sixten Lundbohm, Erik and Axel Olson. The exhibition's tenth anniversary was shown at Liljevalchs konsthall in Stockholm.
That same year, 1941, Gunnar Hjorthén (1913–1997) opened Galleri God Konst on Vallgatan in Gothenburg. He came to be regarded as something of an institution in Gothenburg's art life. The gallery subsequently moved to various locations, including Drottninggatan, Konserthuset and Södra vägen. Hjorthén dedicated himself to promoting and championing "young art", with artists such as Ivan Ivarson, Karin Parrow, Ragnar Sandberg and Inge Schiöler. In large part thanks to Hjorthén and Galleri God Konst, the Gothenburg Colourists became a recognised movement. Like Svensk-Franska konstgalleriet, Hjorthén sought out Paris early on and through the gallery facilitated contact with the new painting. In 1953, for example, Tsugoharu Foujita was exhibited.
Come in for a viewing and let yourself be inspired. Auction: 20 April. Viewing: Crafoord Auktioner, Galoppvägen 3, Täby. Monday–Friday 1–5 pm, Saturday 11 am–2 pm (closed for Easter 3–6 April).