Stockholms Auktionsverk presents: The Modern Art Sale and The Contemporary Art Sale

“We are very proud to present two collections of such exceptional quality alongside groundbreaking and historically significant works by some of the greatest names in modern and contemporary art. Our art auctions are of a high international standard, and the combined estimate for this autumn’s The Modern Art Sale is as much as 40 per cent higher than that of the spring edition. This is a clear indication of the strong confidence our clients place in us,” says Lena Rydén, Director of Fine Art at Stockholms Auktionsverk.

The foremost highlight of the Swedish section of The Modern Art Sale is Sigrid Hjertén’s Badscen (Badstranden och skuggan) from 1918. The painting was exhibited at the groundbreaking Expressionist Exhibition at Liljevalchs in Stockholm that same year and is a significant work from a pivotal period in the artist’s career. It has remained in the same private collection since 1994.

The auction also features works by artists including Bror Hjorth, Carl Kylberg and Ragnar Sandberg. International highlights include two drawings by Pablo Picasso from 1962, studies for Le Déjeuner sur l’herbe, as well as Man Ray’s rare painted folding screen La Forêt Dorée de Man Ray from 1950. Another major highlight is the Anna-Stina Malmborg & Gunnar Höglund Collection, one of Sweden’s most significant private collections of Swedish and international post-war art, featuring works by Antony Gormley, Claes Oldenburg, Martial Raysse, Ed Ruscha and Christo, among others.

“Badscen is one of Sigrid Hjertén’s truly significant works. Here we encounter an artist who has fully developed her own independent visual language and challenges the conventions of her time. This is also an auction with an exceptionally strong international offering, not least thanks to the remarkable Anna-Stina Malmborg & Gunnar Höglund Collection. The result is an outstanding combination of exceptional artistic quality and knowledgeable collecting at the highest level,” says Victoria Svederberg, Head of the Art Department at Stockholms Auktionsverk.

At The Contemporary Art Sale, international names such as Andy Warhol, Christo & Jeanne-Claude and Kenny Scharf are brought together with prominent Swedish artists including Lena Cronqvist, Jockum Nordström and Cecilia Edefalk. The Körsbärsgården Collection, assembled in Gotland by Marita and Jon Jonsson over more than 25 years, occupies a special place in the auction. The selection also includes sculptural works by Maria Miesenberger, Klara Kristalova and Cajsa von Zeipel, as well as Fredrik Wretman’s monumental Big Half Foot, which will be installed in the middle of Östermalmstorg in the center of Stockholm during the viewing period of the auction.

“Körsbärsgården has been an important meeting place for contemporary art, giving artists the space to explore ideas and develop their artistic practices. The works now have the opportunity to find new contexts and collectors. I hope they will inspire the same curiosity and engagement in their new settings as they did with Marita and Jon Jonsson,” says Johanna Malm, specialist in Swedish and international contemporary art.

The public exhibition opens on 6 November at Stockholms Auktionsverk, Nybrogatan 32, Stockholm. The Contemporary Art Sale takes place on 17 November, followed by The Modern Art Sale on 18 November.

Explore the catalogue for The Contemporary Art Sale here.

Explore the catalogue for The Modern Art Sale here.