Helene Schjerfbeck

The Finland -Swedish artist Helene Schjerfbeck (1862-1946) is one of the greatest Nordic artists of the 20th century, whose development was shaped by the emerging modernism. Throughout her life, she drew inspiration the contemporary art scene and as well as the old masters. She studied Edelfelt and Cezanne as well as El Greco, Botticelli, and Fra Angelico. Over time, Schjerfbeck developed her own unique and distinctive expression and refined her technique. “I paint because I have seen paintings that have made me happy, and an inner force drives me to seek to do something like that, and I hope each time. Never has I succeeded yet. That is why I paint, not thinking of people,” wrote Schjerfbeck.

Schjerfbeck had a close collaboration with her gallerist Gösta Stenman (1888-1947), who discovered her unique talent when she was nearly 50 years old. He encouraged her, supported her, and promoted her artistry. As early as 1919, Stenman had opened his first art salon in Helsinki, but Schjerfbeck's major breakthrough came only in the 1930s when Stenman opened a gallery in Stockholm as well. In connection with Schjerfbeck's solo exhibition in 1937, success was a fact. Helen Schjerfbeck was then 75 years old. Gösta Stenman was also the one who persuaded Schjerfbeck to leave Finland during the war years and ensured that she was evacuated to Sweden. During her last two years of life, 1944-1946, Helen Schjerfbeck lived in Saltsjöbaden outside Stockholm. She found it difficult to find models during this turbulent time, which is why she often drew inspiration from art literature or her own past experiences. Her most famous and revealing self-portraits are from this period.

The auction's sketch in charcoal on paper was executed during the artist's final years. The sketch has been part of Gösta Stenman's collection and testifies to how close their collaboration was, right until the end. It is a preparatory work for the painting “The Friends,” executed in oil on canvas, which is now in the collections of the National Gallery in Helsinki. In the auction's sketch, we can see how Schjerfbeck explores different ways to approach the relationship between the two women in focus. The figure on the left sits upright with her hands stiffly placed in her lap. The face is expressionless, the portrayal stripped down, almost cold. The figure on the right radiates a longing for closeness; she leans towards her friend and seems to cling to her with her arms around her neck. At times, she withdraws with a sadly resigned expression, skillfully evoked with a few accentuating strokes of Schjerfbeck's charcoal pencil. In the finished version of "The Friends," the two women are depicted side by side, without touching or communicating with each other. Details in clothing and facial features have given way to the stripped-down, while their faces take on the form of theatrical masks. The viewer is drawn into the emotional drama that unfolds in silence.

“Therefore I paint, not thinking of people,” wrote Schjerfbeck. But it is the interest in humanity that characterises Helene Schjerfbeck's artistry, and her portraits leave no one untouched.

Image: "Friends” (Väninnorna), Helene Schjerfbeck, The Finnish National Gallery, photo: Hannu Pakarinen