Stefan Johansson
Covered by droit de suite
Image rights
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'Julikväll'
Signed Stefan and dated -44. Watercolour on canvas 56,5 x70,5 cm. Dimensions including the artist's original frame 71 x 85 cm.
Provenance
Acquired directly from the artist.
Thence by descent.
Exhibitions
Konstnärshuset, Stockholm, "Stefan Johansson", 29 January - 17 February 1944, cat. no. 10.
Värmlands Museum, Karlstad, "Stefan Johansson. Minnesutställning", 15 February - 5 Mars 1958, cat. no. 61.
More information
"Silence and stillness, an atmosphere of solemn tranquility, of reverence and refined seriousness, this is Stefan Johansson's gift to posterity." (Folke Holmér in his book "En bok om Stefan Johansson”).
Johansson is most known for his skill in capturing the subtle nuances of light and its influence on landscapes and moods. During the 1940s, Johansson underwent a phase of artistic maturity where light became one of his primary means of expression. His paintings from this period reveal a deep understanding of the variations of light and its ability to transform the depicted subject into something poetic and emotionally charged.
One of the most characteristic features of Johansson's art from the 1940s is his ability to depict the Swedish landscape in different light conditions and seasons. In the auction's painting "Julikväll" from 1944, he captures the sunset over a landscape with water and trees. By using warm golden and red tones, Johansson succeeds in creating a sense of peacefulness and beauty, enhanced by the soft and diffuse reflections of light in the water.
Johansson's use of light is not only technically skillful but also symbolically charged. The light in his paintings serves as a metaphor for the variations of life and the cycles of nature. By conveying the magic of light and its ability to alter our perception of a scene, Johansson succeeds in creating works that go beyond the purely visual and reach the emotional core of the viewer.