Rackstadsgruppen – Nature mysticism, Japonism, and friendship on Important Spring Sale

Rackstadgruppen

Nature mysticism, Japonism, and friendship

The year was 1898 when the young artist couple Gustaf and Maja Fjæstad moved to the village of Rackstad in Värmland. At that time, Bröderna Erikssons Möbelverkstad was located there, and their production during the 1890s had brought them fame. One of the brothers, Christian, built the studio residence Oppstuhage in 1896, and two years later, when he moved to Stockholm, he rented it out to artists. This is where Gustaf and Maja Fjæstad lived when they arrived, and it became a residence for several young artists who followed Fjæstad. Over the years, a colony emerged, which we now call the Rackstad Colony. We are pleased to present three central painters from the colony in this auction: Gustaf Fjæstad, Björn Ahlgrensson, and Fritz Lindström.

During the 1890s, the artists of the Rackstad Colony belonged to the new generation of artists. They were strongly influenced by the revolutionary Artists' Association (Konstnärsförbundet), which had been formed by the previous generation in the 1880s. All three of the Rackstad painters in this auction attended the school of the Artists' Association and had Carl Larsson as their teacher. Gustaf Fjæstad perhaps had the strongest connection to the association, as he was not only a student but also an assistant to its members. He first assisted Carl Larsson in the work on the wall paintings of the National Museum and then, perhaps more importantly for Fjæstad's artistic development, Bruno Liljefors in the work on the Biological Museum.

The painting in Rackstad was defined by evocative landscape painting. The artists were interested in theosophy among other things, and their images were often symbolic. The visual language of the painters was also strongly influenced by Japonism, a cultural movement that emerged in Europe in the late 19th century. In 1854, Japan opened its borders to the world, which led to the spread of Japanese objects such as woodcuts and ceramics to the Western world. During the 1880s, the Japanese influences found their way into Swedish art. Swedish artists' first encounter with the Japanese visual world was in Paris, and many were deeply influenced, including Carl Larsson, who wrote in 1919, "as an artist, Japan is my homeland."

Björn Ahlgrensson By the piano

Get there immediately! I have discovered the most wonderful place in the world. Outside Arvika by a lake called Racken. What is Italy to that!

Gustaf Fjaestad supposedly said this when he met fellow artist Björn Ahlgrensson and his wife Elsa Lindström on Drottninggatan in Stockholm in the year 1900. The artist's invitation would prove to be a turning point for the newly married couple, whose life situation at the time was fraught with difficulties.

Ahlgrensson had been living in Stockholm since 1890 when he moved back to Sweden after living in Paris for much of his life. Through his father, himself a recognized decorative painter, Björn was employed as an apprentice in Carl Grabow's workshop. Here he met another apprentice, Fritz Lindström, who became a close friend and colleague.

Both Ahlgrensson and Lindström then managed to get in touch with the “Konstnärsförbundet” and were accepted as students in its school. Ahlgrensson painted diligently into the night and was constantly engaged in color experiments. Konstnärsförbundet saw promise in him and offered him a scholarship to go on an educational trip to Paris. The trip was not long, but he met the artists Ivan Aguéli and Olof Sager-Nelson, who introduced him to synthetism. When he returned to Stockholm, influenced mainly by Karl Nordström, he began to explore Nordic nature mysticism and his color palette became darker and duller. He received critical acclaim and was elected to the Swedish Artists' Association, but at the same time his financial situation was serious.