Modern Art + Design presents Sigrid Hjertén
Sigrid Hjertén
”Den skära flickan”
The painting in the auction, ”Den skära flickan”, from 1916, was included in two of the exhibitions that, for Sigrid Hjertén, were the most significant.
In 1910 the ‘Föreningen Svenska Konstnärinnor’ (an organisation for Swedish female artists) was founded in Stockholm by forty or so female artists. In April 1921 the organisation put together an exhibition at Liljevalchs Konsthall that attracted a lot of attention. Seventeen artists participated, including Maj Bring, Siri Derkert, Ruth Milles, Ellen Trotzig and Sigrid Hjertén.
› Executed 1916. Canvas 116 x 89.5 cm. Estimate 1 000 000 – 1 200 000 SEK.
The exhibition was savagely criticised by some. Albert Engström, for example, wrote in Strix: “The other day I visited the lady-exhibition at Liljewalch and never before have I seen something so terrible”. The exhibition was a “disgrace to the entire female race”. And, because the women apparently lacked any sense of self-criticism, they should be prohibited from “making blunders such as these on behalf of themselves and the country”, which is what he thought was happening.
Despite its harsh criticism the 1921 exhibition became important in confirming the role of female artists on the art scene, in the same year that women also gained the right to vote in Sweden.
Fifteen years later, in 1936, the situation for Hjertén was completely different. After having lived in Paris during the 1920s she suffered a breakdown in connection with the move back to Sweden at the beginning of the 1930s and ended up at the mental institution Beckomberga. After not working for an extended period she finally returned to painting. In 1936 she had a major solo exhibition at Konstakademien, which turned out to become her big public breakthrough.
Viewing November 11 – 16, Berzelii Park 1, Stockholm
Open Mon–Fri 11 am–6 pm, Sat–Sun 11 am–5 pm.
Auction Live November 17–18, Arsenalsgatan 2, Stockholm
All works by Sigrid Hjertén to be sold at Modern Art + Design
Hammer price
60 000 SEK
Estimate
60 000 - 80 000 SEK
Hammer price
1 600 000 SEK
Estimate
1 000 000 - 1 200 000 SEK
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Stockholm
Björn Extergren
Head of Consignment and Sales Department, Fine Art. Specialist Antique Furniture, Decorative Arts and Asian Ceramics
+46 (0)706 40 28 61
Stockholm
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+46 (0)728 58 71 39
Stockholm
Lena Rydén
Head of Art, Specialist Modern and 19th century Art
+46 (0)707 78 35 71
