On Thursday, 26 October, Swedish artists of the 20th century were especially in the spotlight when Hallands Auktionsverk in Halmstad, Sweden, auctioned the Gottfrid Boon Collection of Modern Art. The live auction was held on Barnebys' white-label software platform Skeleton and was followed in real-time from 96 different countries.
Johan Gottfrid Boon (1886-1981) was educated at the Royal Music Conservatory and later worked as a piano teacher at the Royal Academy of Music. Boon was not only one of Sweden's most prestigious piano teachers but also a diligent art collector. At the time of his death on 28 March 1981, the pianist had managed to build up an impressive collection of art, which was given to Hallands Auktionsverk, an auction house with whom he had close relationships.
The sale of Boon's collection was led by Girl with a Long Neck, a painting by Helene Schjerfbeck, the famed Swedish-Finnish artist who often featured women and girls as her main subject. She focused exclusively on the expression of the face, eschewing details of the body or clothing, and this modernist portrait was a fine example of this technique. It has been exhibited at many museums, including the Prins Eugens Waldemarsudde, Gothenburg's Art Museum, and the Kunstnernes House in Oslo. The painting was the most expensive sale of the auction, fetching 4 million SEK (approx. $314,60).
See also: Newly Discovered Works by Picasso and Schjerfbeck – A Unique Collection at Auction
Another of Schjerfbeck's works, a drawing titled The Younger Girl, also achieved a high result, doubling its high estimate when it sold for 800,000 SEK. It was a sketch study for her painting titled In front of the mirror, which sold in 2012 at auction for 6 million SEK. Two other Schjerfbeck drawings and a lithograph also sold.
Get auction news direct to your inbox with our free newsletter!
Swedish artist Carl Kylberg, was highlighted in the sale with two paintings: Figure on Balcony (sold for 340,000 SEK) and Windmill (sold for 80,000 SEK) that are characteristic of his dynamic brushstrokes and bright colour palette.
See also: ‘Wave V’ Becomes the Most Expensive Swedish Work of Art Ever Sold
Other standout results included Karl Isakson's Standing Nude oil on canvas that received 60,000 SEK, double its low estimate, and Joan Miro's Plate II (from Series III) that fetched 46,000 SEK, also double its estimate of 20,000-30,000 SEK.
The sale concluded with lively bidding for Swedish artist Ragnar Sandberg's oil on canvas from 1935 The Wind is Catching On. With nearly 20 bids, the painting doubled its high estimate, selling for 600,000 SEK, the third highest price of the sale. Sandberg is known for his whimsical and colorful compositions, of which this work was a clear example.
The proceeds of the Gottfrid Boon auction were donated to aid young musicians. Pontus Silfverstolpe, co-founder of Barnebys, said about the sale, "The auction is a milestone for Hallands auction house and Barnebys, but above all it is a huge success for the Nordic art market. It is a fantastic experience to see bidding taking place from all over the world online, on the phone and in a packed auction room. Just as it should be in 2022. We are incredibly happy to be able to offer Barnebys' users and customers this opportunity."
