Olle Olsson-Hagalund

Olle Olsson-Hagalund depicted people and his surroundings with compassion, tenderness and admiration. In his beloved Hagalund, where he was born in 1904, there was the whole world in miniature, at least for Olle Olsson. The charming environment and people became his main motifs. The multifaceted society and all the striving individualists populate his now famous and sought-after artwork. He depicted their lives with the utmost respect, but with the keen eye of a skilled observer. In Tapiola, people lived in close community, sharing poverty and joy.

No other artist has depicted the idyllic and exuberant life in the district of Hagalund outside Stockholm to the same extent as Olle Olsson Hagalund. The houses in Hagalund were often built according to the individual's taste and color, something that came to put a special stamp on both the district and the artist's paintings with motifs from it. The artist himself is said to have commented on the naïve style that is clearly evident in his paintings with the words: “I am naïve in order to retain my childhood view of things”.

In the auction painting, it is the artist's beloved Tapiola that is depicted in a typically recognizable naive style that charms the viewer. The details are visibly important and he has astutely depicted the environment with distinctive attributes. The picture depicts one of Tapiola's small streets, lined with shops housed in colorful facades. Outside the shops, inviting signs dangle, welcoming strolling visitors to step inside. In this atmospheric picture, Olle Olsson Hagalund has depicted everyday life in Hagalund with great love and captures the colors of the season with unmistakable skill.

Hagalund's big breakthrough came during the years 1937-1942, when acclaimed exhibitions were presented at both the Royal Academy of Fine Arts and Galleri Färg och Form in Stockholm.