A light-filled impressionistic view of Skäldervike in Sweden by Norwegian artist, Johannes Grenness (1875-1963).
Skäldervike is a picturesque bay in south Sweden that’s comprised of several fishing villages. It’s fairly close to Copenhagen in Denmark where Grenness lived with his family.
We love the broad brushstrokes and free-spirited feel in this piece. You can imagine Grenness discovering this woody spot and admiring the view before he set to work. Between the tall spruce, the landscape increases in lightness as it gently fades from view.
Johannes Grenness was born in Drammen, Norway but spent much of his life in Denmark. He studied at PS Krøyer's painting school and also under Wassily Kandinsky (1866-1944) while in Munich. He’s highly regarded as a portraitist but enjoyed painting landscapes ‘en plein air’ in an impressionistic style.
This particular painting featured in a 2003 retrospective exhibition, “Johannes Grenness - Lysets Mester (Master of Light)”.
The painting is housed in a coved gilded frame and signed in the lower left.
Medium |
Oil on canvas
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Overall size
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22½” x 21” / 57cm x 54cm
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Year of creation |
c. 1930
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Provenance |
Denmark. Previously directly from the artist and then by descent.
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Condition
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Craquelure in areas but the paint layer is stable. Frame with some age-related wear.
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Artist’s auction highlight
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£7,805 achieved for ‘Lekende gutt på sten med seilbåt’ in 2006.
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