Eclectic & Decorative

Eclectic & Decorative at Stockholms Auktionsverk is like the most wonderful of cabinet cabinets, a first-class art historical exposé, or perhaps like stepping into an adventure novel. Here, you’ll find samples of expressions, craftsmanship, ideals, history, conventions, defiance of conventions, trends, innovation, and so much more—things that can almost only be experienced through a richly curated auction catalog. Nearly every item holds a background, a story waiting to be uncovered.

Take, for instance, Vilhelm Holmgren’s portrait of his wife, painted in Paris shortly after the turn of the 20th century. When Holmgren was six, he became an orphan and was placed in the care of a sea captain’s widow. He grew up in poverty, and after his schooling, he sought work at Rörstrand’s porcelain factory, practicing painting on surplus porcelain. Eventually, he trained as a decorative painter and traveled to Paris to refine the Swedish pavilion at the 1889 World’s Fair. Eleven years later, he returned to Paris to study under several of the era’s French luminaries. And it was then that he painted that portrait of his wife—seated in his studio, dressed in a gown of lilac or perhaps deep purple. One can't help but wonder what their life was like in Paris, who bought the painting, and what happened next.

And so it is with all the other objects in Lilla Kvalitén—the Chinese ritual wine cup, the Austrian divan, Lisa Larson’s whimsical Klotdam, and not least that nightlight holder, which was likely once sold as a Grand Tour souvenir of the finest kind. Imagine having it at home when the power goes out!

Welcome to discover nearly 280 more stories at Stockholms Auktionsverk!