The Modern Art Sale

The early 20th century was a time when established ideas about colour and form were challenged. This autumn’s The Modern Art Sale brings together several of the artists who drove this development, from the Swedish pioneers to the international avant-garde. A special place is given to the collection of Anna-Stina Malmborg and Gunnar Höglund. From the 1960s onwards, the two physicians built up one of Sweden’s most influential private collections of Swedish and international art. The collection includes works by Claes Oldenburg, Niki de Saint Phalle, Christo and Torsten Andersson, among others.

The foremost highlight of the Swedish section is Sigrid Hjertén’s “Badscen (Badstranden och skuggan)” (“Bathing Scene (The Beach and the Shadow)”) from 1918. The painting was shown the same year at the Expressionist exhibition at Liljevalchs. The sale also features works by Bror Hjorth and Leander Engström. The Gothenburg Colourists are represented by, among others, Ragnar Sandberg’s previously unknown “Måspredikan” (“The Sermon to the Gulls”). The international highlights include two drawings by Pablo Picasso from 1962, studies for the sculptural group now installed outside Moderna Museet in Stockholm. The sale also includes Man Ray’s “La Forêt Dorée de Man Ray” (“The Golden Forest of Man Ray”), one of only three known painted folding screens by the artist.