Oskar Bergman - Young Pines and Golden Birches, 1908

Oskar Bergman (1879-1963) Sweden

Young Pines and Golden Birches, 1908
Swedish title: Ungtallar och guldbjörkar, 1908

watercolor and gold paint
signed and dated Oskar Bergman 1908
dimensions (visible) 12.5 x 9 cm (4.92 x 3.54 inches)
frame 24 x 19 cm (9.45 x 7.48 inches)

Exhibited:
Svensk-Franska Konstgalleriet, nov 1940, catalog number 162, nr 14, as Ungtallar och guldbjörkar, dated 1908. A printed copy of the catalog will be included in the purchase.

Provenance:
Fröken J.Ullman (According to Svensk-Franska Konstgalleriet);
Svensk-Franska Konstgalleriet, nov 1940, catalog number 162, nr 14, as Ungtallar och guldbjörkar, dated 1908; 
Thence a private collection Stockholm.

Essay:

We are delighted to offer a charming watercolor painting by the Swedish artist, Oskar Bergman (1879-1963), titled "Ungtallar och guldbjörkar" (Young Pines and Golden Birches) dated 1908. This artwork features a few young pine trees, their cones painted in a luxurious gold, set against a backdrop of golden birch trees under a cobalt blue sky. The piece is signed and dated by Oskar Bergman, 1908. The visible image size is 12.5 x 9 cm, making this piece a small gem, akin to a jewel against a beautiful gold passe-partout and gold frame.

Oskar Bergman's work has been increasingly sought after by art collectors in recent years, and museums worldwide have acquired his exquisite pieces. His most recent exhibition was at the Thielska Galleriet in Stockholm. Among his most unusual works are the golden birches painted with gold paint, which are extremely rare. Only a few have  appeared at auction in recent years, one at Stockholms Auktionsverk and the other at Uppsala Auktionskammare, both of which sold for high prices after extended bidding. Our watercolor was created in 1908, a fascinating period in the artist's production.

About Oskar Bergman:

Oskar Bergman was a prominent Swedish painter known for his landscape paintings. Born in 1879 in Stockholm, he was largely a self-taught artist, although he did receive some formal training at the Royal Swedish Academy of Fine Arts. Bergman’s work often reflects his fascination with the Swedish landscape, characterized by its detailed depiction of nature and atmospheric light. Throughout his lifetime, Bergman’s work was exhibited in various galleries and is now part of several museum collections, for example the Nationalmuseum in Stockholm, Sweden, among others.

Comparable sales:


Stockholms Auktionsverk
Oskar Bergman "Flowering tree"
Fine Art Auction, 14 June 2023, lot 167
Price realised: 175.000 SEK

Uppsala Auktionskammare
Oskar Bergman "Tall och björkdunge, 1910"
Decorative sale, 1 Sep 2022, lot 686
Price realised: 156.000 SEK