Roland Svensson

He can be said to be the foremost depicter of the modern Swedish archipelago in art. In countless works - not least his widely spread lithographs - he has captured the coastal strip with its islands, islets, and skerries - the artist Roland Svensson. But also the cultural historian, geographer, and author. A versatile individual with the Swedish archipelago as his calling.
Once upon a time, in the late 1920s, he worked as a messenger at Enskilda Banken in Stockholm. He stayed there for a few years before enrolling at Blomberg's School of Painting in 1931. That marked the beginning of an artistic career that would last a lifetime. From 1934 to 1940, he studied at the Royal Institute of Art in Stockholm. In 1940, he also made his debut as a book illustrator. Those who venture into antiquarian environments may sometimes come across his book cover for Sven Barthel's "Cykloncentrum." The 189 pages are adorned with an archipelago motif featuring coastal plants in the foreground and the calmly awaiting sea further back in the image, all rendered in Roland Svensson's typically pale color palette.
At Stockholms Auktionsverk Magasin 5, we encounter him as an interpreter of the environments where the sea crashes against the cliffs and where old tugboats rest after demanding days at sea. It is not a flattering, saccharine portrayal we are faced with. Many times, the snow lies heavy on the leaves printed on colored limestone. In "Januaridag Möja," for example, the temperature is below freezing with biting winds. On the other hand, we approach "Antegubben's Cottage" on an evening when that light, repeatedly described as both magical and Nordic, which has attracted people to the coastal strip for generations, is just around the corner.
The curated selection includes over 100 lots and more than adequately illustrates the breadth of Roland Svensson's work.
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