This 20th-century Swedish school portrait depicts a smartly attired gentleman with a grey suit and yellow tie.

It’s painted with confidence and the prominent white collar adds interest and structure.

It’s monogrammed SC or SG and tracking down the artist has been challenging. However, stylistically it sits alongside to the oeuvre of Swedish artist Edward Berggren (1876-1961). Berggren ran a drawing school and one of his pupils was Sven Carlsson (1911-1978) who later adopted the name Sven Gunnar Örtenström. It’s possible that this is an early work by Örtenström, circa 1940, while under Berggren’s tuition.

Örtenström is represented at the National Museum in Stockholm.

Medium: Oil on canvas
Overall size: 18” x 26” / 46cm x 66cm
Year of creation: c. 1940
Condition: Artwork presents well. One minor divot.