Prodotti

Johan Christoffer Boklund (1817-1880)

The Young Artist 

oil on canvas mounted on board
canvas dimensions 40 x 31.5 cm
frame 53 x 45 cm

Essay:
Introducing a captivating oil painting by Johan Christoffer Boklund (1817-1880). The artwork depicts a young boy practicing his painting skills. Seated beside him is a wooden horse that he is diligently recreating on a round wooden panel. His painting style is simple, revealing his early stage as an artist. The horse he paints consists of straight lines, almost resembling a stick figure, which adds a charming element when juxtaposed with the actual wooden horse.

In 1837, Johan Christoffer Boklund arrived in Stockholm and joined the Royal Academy of Fine Arts. In 1846, accompanied by Johan Fredrik Höckert, he embarked on a journey to Munich, where he stayed for eight years. It was during this period that he developed his artistic skills further. In 1853, he sent his painting "The Curious Trumpeter" back to Sweden, which earned him a government scholarship and paved the way for his subsequent journey to Paris. In Paris, he worked at Thomas Couture's studio from 1854 to 1855. Boklund returned to Sweden in December 1855.

Upon his return, he became a teacher at the Academy of Fine Arts in 1856 and was appointed as a professor. That same year, he played a key role in the establishment of the Artists' Club (Konstnärsklubben). From 1856 to 1872, he served as the tutor to King Charles XV. In 1861, he became a member of the committee responsible for organizing the interior of the National Museum and acted as the acting treasurer at the Royal Museum. In 1866, he became the head curator of the Art Department at the National Museum and, in 1867, the court curator, overseeing Karl XV's painting collection, as well as serving as the director of the Royal Academy of Fine Arts. Boklund was also a committee member involved in organizing the Nordic Art Exhibition in Stockholm in 1866.

His works can be found in various art institutions, including the Nationalmuseum in Stockholm, the Gothenburg Museum of Art, the Vänersborg Museum, the Norrköping Art Museum, and the Kalmar Art Museum.

Provenance: 
Ruth Dagmar Brovall (1885-1971), Who was a relative of Boklund; Later - inherited within her family until 2005; Sold at Roslags Auctions, Norrtälje. 

Johan Peter von Wildenradt (1861-1904) 

Sea View from Menton, Côte d'Azur, France

signed JP.v. Wildenradt Menton 1892
oil on wood panel
panel size 26.37 x 16.92 inches (67 x 43 cm)
frame 31.49 x 22.04 inches (80 x 56 cm)

Provenance:
Swedish private collection

Wildenradt was born 1861 in Helsingør, Denmark. He studies art at the School of Fine Arts in Copenhagen under Laurits Tuxen. During the latter part of the 1880s, he traveled to Provence and fell in love with the beautiful landscape, where he settled. In the years to come, during the 1890s, Wildenradt created some very spectacular paintings, including "Sea View from Menton, Côte d'Azur, France". Since he died at only 43 years old, his production is very limited. Johan Peter von Wildenradt is represented at the Museum of fine arts in Marseille. 

Johann Andreas von Düwens (?-1716) Germany

Vanitas with Pallas Athena, Wheat, and Flowers, 1701

signed and dated Jo An von Düwens pinx 1701
oil on wood panel
unframed 56 x 42 cm (22.05 x 16.54 inches)
framed 70 x 54 cm (27.56 x 21.26 inches)

With inscription: ”Wie es wolt Sommer werden. Da müst ich von der Erden / Bringen frucht in gedult”.
With indistinct inscription on the reverse: ”[...] av Nature Morte”.

Condition: 
The painting has recently undergone restoration by a professional art conservator. There are small areas with retouching. The panel itself is slightly warped, and as a result, a custom-made frame has been crafted to accommodate its curved shape. The painting’s colors are vibrant and clear, showcasing the fine detail and original brilliance of the piece.

Provenance: 
A private collection Stockholm; 
Uppsala Auktionskammare, Important Spring Sale 2024, Lot 627,
As by Johann Andreas von Düwens. 

ESSAY:

A Rare and Significant Discovery.

We are pleased to offer this newly discovered vanitas still life by the German artist Johann Andreas von Düwens (?-1716). Titled "Vanitas with Pallas Athena, Wheat, and Flowers" this stunning work, dated and signed by the artist, is one of the few known paintings attributed to Düwens.

The central figure in the composition is a striking statue of Pallas Athena, symbolizing wisdom, warfare, and craftsmanship. The goddess is surrounded by meticulously rendered objects that heighten the vanitas theme—a skull, symbolizing mortality; a sheaf of wheat, representing the cycle of life; and a vivid array of flowers, embodying both beauty and the fleeting nature of existence. Each element is imbued with rich symbolism, reminding viewers of life's transience and the inevitability of death.

An inscription on the column behind Athena reads: "Wie es wolt Sommer werden. Da müst ich von der Erden / Bringen frucht in gedult", roughly translated as, "As summer is about to come, I must leave the earth / Bear fruit with patience," a poetic reflection on the passage of time and human existence. This phrase complements the painting's vanitas theme, invoking both a sense of finality and a call to spiritual mindfulness.

The skillful use of vibrant colors and intricate detailing in the various objects displayed in the foreground—the flowers, the sheaf of wheat, the book, and even the helmet leaning on a shield—exemplifies Düwens' talent for composition and his deep understanding of vanitas symbolism. The painting’s architectural backdrop, an elegant arched wing of a palace, adds a majestic sense of place, creating a juxtaposition between life’s impermanence and the grandeur of human achievement.

Little is known about Johann Andreas von Düwens, who hailed from a renowned artistic family. He was appointed court painter in Zerbst in 1697, where he created numerous large-scale works, including the now-lost murals of Zerbst Castle. His brother Heinrich Duwens is slightly more recognized, but Johann's portable works, like this vanitas still life, are extremely rare, with only a few surviving engravings of portraits known to exist.

This painting is a rare opportunity to own a piece of Baroque art by an elusive artist whose works were once celebrated at court, yet whose legacy was nearly lost to time. 

John Charles Robert Johansson, Called YO Johanson (1897-1963)

Sunset, 1920

oil on wood panel
signed and dated 
unframed 35 x 26.5 cm
framed 40 x 31.5 cm 

Essay:
This serene painting by Swedish artist Yo Johanson (born John Charles Robert Johansson) captures the tranquil beauty of a sunset in 1920. Softly rendered brushstrokes depict the gentle reflection of sunlight across a calm body of water, with the vibrant glow of the setting sun casting warm hues over the rocky foreground. The clouds above add a touch of drama, blending seamlessly into the horizon as day fades into night.

Born on October 2, 1897, in Paris, Johanson was the son of Arvid Claes William Johanson and Charlotte Louise Caroline Lucas. He pursued his artistic studies under the guidance of Carl Wilhelmson and Maurice Denis in Paris, shaping his style and influences. Johanson exhibited his work in several notable exhibitions, including a solo show at Continental Motor in Malmö in 1949 and participated in various group exhibitions in Gothenburg. His art often reflects scenes inspired by his time in France, capturing its landscapes and light in a distinctive, atmospheric style.

John da Costa (1867-1931, England)

oil on canvas
signed John da Costa and dated -02
canvas size 57.87 x 33.46 inches (147 x 85 cm)  
frame dimensions 62.99 x 38.58 inches (160 x 98 cm)  

Provenance:  
Possibly sold at Liverpool Dicksee & Co 1902 (see label), they were both frame makers and art agents;  Christie's, sale 707 GF according to a stencil on the back of the painting; English collection until sold to Sweden 1936; Aquired 1936 by Ingrid and Seth Molander, Sweden;  A private collection Sweden until acquired by Classicartworks Stockholm in the summer of 2021.

The story of the Belle époque in one portrait  

When it comes to glamour, no period in the history of art can compete with the Belle époque. A generation of highly talented artists developed new styles of portraiture that not only showed fashionable taste and elegance – but also the tensions and changes to come that lured behind the surface of this glittering age. One of them was John da Costa (1867–1931) also – involuntarily – known as “The John Singer Sargent of children’s portraits”.  

The time period between the Franco-Prussian war of 1871 and the outbreak of the first world war of 1914 was an unusually peaceful and prosperous one – at least on the surface. The decades leading up to the largest and most destructive war the world had ever seen were characterized by a combination of industrial boom, cosmopolitan life, the birth of modern art and literature and political movements that eventually would change society forever. In other words, it was a melting pot for many phenomenon and societal transformations that we still today are affected by, not least in the form of art.  

Breaking away from the more conservative academic traditions, new styles of painting of varying radicality emerged and both chocked and delighted audiences. When it comes to portraiture, names like John Singer Sargent and Anders Zorn conquered international audiences with their electrifying paintings of high society, politicians and celebrities of the era. Their erringly light brushwork created an almost dreamlike atmosphere where everything from the sheerness of dress fabrics, subtle lights of ballroom evenings and dense psychological facial expressions vibrated with the zeitgeist. Initially controversial and breaking with traditional expectations, eventually it was this kind of portraits that became the “dernier cri”, a hallmark of good taste and ultimately the very essence of the Belle époque. And it is here, in the vibrant field of portraiture, that John da Costa finds his place and artistic calling.  

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JULES SCHYL (Sweden, 1893-1977)

BALLET DANCER

A Ballet Dancer painting is a rare find for an artist mostly known for his oeuvre with Cubism and Expressionist paintings.  The current painting has many similarities with Degas sketches in pastel. He probably studied Degas drawings at a museum in 1949 and then made his own interpretation.  

pastel, crayon on paper signed Schyl -49  
picture size 16.53 x 13.77 inches (42 x 35 cm)
with frame 23.62 x 20.47 inches (60 x 52 cm)  

Provenance: A Swedish Private Collection