Gustaf Fjaestad

Erland P. Olsén, Arvika, Värmland, thence by descent.
the Thiel Collection, around 1908-1909 and the table was completed in 1914.
ThThis table was originally ordered by an American acquaintance of Thiel along with six carved chairs. The chairs were executed about the same time as the table in e American client unfortunately passed away before the furniture was delivered. Thus the set remained in Sweden and reportedly the set was eventually returned to Fjaestad.
Ernest Thiel and his wife had earlier on visited Friedrich Nietsche's archive in Weimar and they had the opportunity to see Henry van de Velde's magnificent interior, including the gigantic wall-mounted sofa, executed in an Belgian Art Nouveau, which signifies the designs of van de Velde.
Thiel, previously acquainted with Gustaf Fjaestad, decided that Fjaestad was the right person to create a Swedish interpretation of Van de Velde's sofa in his newly built villa at Djurgården, designed by Ferdinand Boberg.
Fjaestad was commissioned to create a table and a sofa for Thiel.
Fjaestad's carved furniture, with their sculptured details of acorns, pine branches and bark decoration are made in a natural romantic style rather than in a regular Art Nouveau.

Thiel's sofa and table were exhibited at the Konstindustriutställningen (Art Industry Exhibition) at Djurgården in Stockholm in 1909 together with the six chairs to be sold at this auction.
Possibly the original American client saw Thiel's table at the exhibition in 1909 and ordered a similar one.
Fjaestad later decided to give Thiel a gift consisting of the six supplementary chairs that are currently on view at the Thielska Gallery.
The auction table is thus a double to the Theil table and is intended to supplement the group of six chairs.
The complete furniture group that is now being offered at this autumn's auction, the table and the six chairs where exhibited at the Baltic exhibition in Malmö in 1914.
After that the original buyer passed away, the furniture returned to Fjaestad. However, he soon found a buyer in the tobacco manufacturer Erland P. Olsén in Arvika. The furniture has since been in the same family until today.
They have been exhibited a number of times in Sweden and also, according to family tradition, have been touring the world.

The Baltic Exhibition, in Malmö 1914.
Panama - Pacific International Exhibition, San Francisco, 1915, reportedly there was earlier an exhibition label underneath the table from the exhibition proving this statement.
Kulturen i Lund, "Nordiskt Ljus vid Sjön Racken samt Nutida Värmländsk Konst", February 3rd -April 14th 1991.
Rackstadmuseet, Arvika, the opening exhibition 1993,
catalogue number 6.
Rackstadmuseet, Arvika, "Gustaf och Maja Fjaestad ett konstnärspar" 1998.
Rackstadmuseet, Arvika, "100 År Efter Rackstadkolonin", May 2nd -June 25th 2011.

H. Fr. Ahlström, "Officiell Berättelse öfver Baltiska Utställningen i Malmö 1914, Förlagsaktiebolagets i Malmö Boktryckeri, Malmö 1919, II book, p 949 the complete set of furniture to be sold is depicted on a photograph together with paintings and wall hangings by Gustaf Fjaestad.
Ed. Monica Boman, "Svenska Möbler 1890-1990", Bokförlaget Signum, Lund 1991, pp 64-66.
Agneta Fjaestad Nordmark, "Fjaestads Konst", Fjäderstad Förlag, Karlstad 1999, pp 73, 75, 77-79.

Gustav Fjaestad was a pupil of Bruno Liljefors and Carl Larsson. He became renound for his depictions of Swedish winter landscapes, often with glistening icecrystals and bubbling water by ice's edge, sometimes lit up by the setting sun, sometimes in scales of grey, white and purple. He also designed templates for woven wallpapers, furniture, and wrought iron. He is represented in major Swedish museums as well as in Vienna and Chicago.