Ulf Linde - Seen from Behind

Ulf Linde (1929-2013) Sweden

Seen from Behind 

gouache on board
signed U.L and dedicated to "Berit"
unframed 8.27 x 5.12 inches (21 x 13 cm)
framed 11.81 x 8.46 inches (30 x 21.5 cm)

Literature:
"Ulf Linde - Essays from a Lifetime in the Arts" from 2023 is included in the purchase. 

Essay:
This gouache painting by Ulf Linde, a multifaceted Swedish figure, presents a unique portrayal of a woman seen from behind, set against a blue and white striped background. The artwork, likely from the 1970s or 1980s, reflects Linde's admiration for René Magritte, whose influence can be discerned in the mysterious and thought-provoking silhouette. The absence of facial features draws the viewer's attention to the form and posture, perhaps challenging us to consider the unseen aspects of identity and presence.

Ulf Linde (1929–2013) was a renowned Swedish art critic, jazz musician, author, museum director, professor, composer, and member of the prestigious Swedish Academy. His father was Harald Linde, an engineer, and his mother Karin Krouthén. Linde's career spanned various realms of art and culture; he was first married to Bertha Lundgren and, after her passing, to Nina Öhman, who succeeded him as the head art curator of the Thielska Gallery.

Linde's membership in the Royal Swedish Academy of Fine Arts from 1963 and the Swedish Academy from 1977 marked his prominent role in the arts. He succeeded Eyvind Johnson in seat number 11 of the Swedish Academy and directed the Thielska Gallery for 20 years.

As an art critic for Dagens Nyheter from 1956 to 1968, Linde was recognized for his radical views on art, emphasizing the viewer's participatory role. His book "Spejare" ('Scouts') from 1960, was a collection of articles on the "informal" artists and was instrumental in triggering Sweden's "great art debate" of 1962. Lind's profound interest in Marcel Duchamp led him to create replicas of Duchamp's works, some of which were signed by Duchamp himself and are now housed in the Moderna Museet in Stockholm.

After leaving Dagens Nyheter in 1968, Linde continued to shape Swedish art discourse as a professor of modern art theory at the Royal Institute of Art and as an interim director at the Moderna Museet. His legacy includes over a hundred temporary exhibitions at the Thielska Gallery, and his "micro-essays" are compiled in the book "Presentationer" ('Presentations').

This particular gouache is accompanied by an exquisite pine frame, adding to its allure. It is dedicated to someone named "Berit," possibly someone of significance in Linde's life. The artwork, through its simplicity and evocative use of color and silhouette, embodies a magnetic charm that is difficult to articulate but deeply felt, much like the enigmatic works of Duchamp and Magritte that Linde admired so much.