Stockholm - Paintings

Remembering the magic of everyday life moments in the art of David Teniers: The art of David Teniers the Younger (1610–1690) coincided with the heyday of the Flemish Baroque and captured a great variety of motifs of his time. In this painting of a seemingly simple peasant scene lies keys to understanding both the imaginative mind of Teniers as well as why this time period produced some of the most iconic works in all of art history.  As indicated by the name, Teniers was more or less born into his profession. As the son of David Teniers the elder, himself a painter who studied under Rubens, the younger David received training in art from a very young age and had no less than three brothers who also became painters. Because of his father’s frequent financial failures that even at times saw him imprisoned, David the younger helped to rescue the family from ruin through painting copies of old masters. Essentially, the young Teniers was confronted with painting as both a passion and creative expression as well as a necessity during difficult times, an experience that would shape much of his capacity and sensitivity in his coming life. Despite the hardships, the talent and determination of Teniers was recognized and quickly expanded his possibilities. He had already spent time in France and possibly also England when he was hired by his father’s former teacher Rubens to help with a prestigious commission with mythological paintings, now considered lost, for Philip IV the king Spain. In 1644–54 Teniers was appointed dean of the Antwerp Guild of Saint Luke, manifesting his esteemed position within the artistic community. A few years afterwards he took an important step when relocating to Brussels, where Teniers yet again found new career opportunities that would prove to be very successful. As the keeper of the collections of Archduke Leopold Wilhelm, a role similar to what we now refer to as an art advisor, Teniers purchased hundreds of important artworks that manifested the prominent status of the Archduke’s collection while at the same time providing an unusual access to inspiration and knowledge for Teniers himself. Since he kept on painting during the same time, his creative scope must have seemed almost bewildering in the great variety of images and stories that he surrounded himself with.  Regardless of how glamorous and culturally stimulating the career of Teniers was, he was as open to the charm and existential importance of everyday life as he was to works of great masters and luxurious collectibles. In his impressive repertoire of genres with everything from exquisite royal portraits, interiors, landscapes and history paintings he always added something new and inventive, highlighting the possibilities of art and importance of an experimental and intuitive mind. It is difficult to single out one aspect or genre to summarize his legacy, since it lies much more in the broad virtuosity across many motifs, although he is particularly remembered for farm scenes and meticulously depicted interiors where other paintings and artworks are captured with an astonishing precision. However, the fact that he is still today one of the most known and celebrated names of the Dutch Golden Age is a proof to the magic of his work, which continues to spark dialogue and wonder in the contemporary viewer of his works. The farm boy in the field in this painting, which likely dates to the mature part of his career, is a wonderful entry into the mind of Teniers. In the tightly cropped motif, we see him standing right in the middle of the busy harvest when men, women and everyone capable were sent out in the field to collect the crop that formed the very core of their diet and survival. In the background we see a fresh blue sky interspersed with skillfully painted clouds, some trees reaching their autumnal colours and in the far distance the glimpse of a small church and village. The presence of a church in a landscape, so typical of Dutch art, served both a symbolic and visual function as a representation of faith while at the same time defining scale and distance. In the field, the work is in full action with the farmers spread out in various positions, all in the midst of hard and sweaty labour. While they are portrayed as having nothing else than the work on their mind, our farm boy seems to have his attention directed elsewhere. Standing there with his white, half open shirt, flowy curls and strong, sturdy body; his gaze is directed away, out of the picture and the scythes in his hands. He looks almost smirking, expressed with tremendous subtlety in the slight smile of his lips and big eyes, being just in the middle of losing focus on the work. What is it that steals his attention? What has he seen, or realized, or felt – to break him free of the arduous task of harvesting, if but for a moment? Here starts the wondering and the questions that are the hallmark of a great piece of art. Instead of explicitly locking in the motif in overly clear symbolism Teniers has chosen an open ended, subtle yet striking moment for us to consider. While it of course can be related to numerous other farm scene depictions of this time, and clever usages of gazes and real-life scenes to underscore various moral or symbolic meanings, the painting can be much more of a contemplation than an explanation or illustration. The ordinary nature and understated yet emotionally textured composition of the motif gives greater space for our own reactions and thoughts. Has he seen a pretty farm girl just passing by? Is he fed up with the farm life, joyously dreaming away for a minute, imagining another future? Or is he simply in need of distraction, looking away and ready for anything that can steal his attention? One quality that never seem to have escaped Teniers was that of curiosity. During all of his career he constantly investigated, expanded and experimented with not only the style and technique of painting, but with the vision of art itself. Being credited with more or less introducing farm motifs for a broader audience not only tells us of his ability to understand the demand for different motifs, but the sensitivity to transform seemingly ordinary parts of life into deep aesthetic experiences, far beyond their expected reach. The farm boy in this painting is, of course, exactly that. But with the help of one smirk the entire picture is charged with a different energy, awakening many contrasts and relationships between the calm landscape, the hard work and his own breach of effectivity, holding sharp scythes while thinking or seeing something else. It is no wonder Teniers chose to work with farm scenes as a way of investigating these intricate and delicate plays on expectations and surprises, clarity and ambivalence. It invites us to an appreciation of human everyday life that connects us with the people of 17th century...

A view of Stockholm painted from the Royal Park of Djurgården and overlooking the small island of Kastellholmen painted by Alfred Bergström (1869-1930) The church visible in the background is Katharina church, built in 1695, located in Södermalm, Stockholm. Signed: Alfr. Bergström, 1887. Oil on canvas. A very early work by Bergström when he was only 18 years old. Painted en plein air, probably during the late autumn or early winter of 1887 when he did his first year of study at the Royal Art Academy. Alfred Maurits Bergström was a Swedish artist and professor at the Royal Academy of Arts. He was a painter, watercolorist and etcher. During the years 1887–1891 he studied at the Academy and won the Royal Medal...

Herman Österlund was a Swedish artist best known for his beautiful depictions of the west coast of Sweden. He moved to Stockholm in 1896 and passed the test for entering the Royal A...

Signed lower left: Iosif Evstafievich Krachkovsky (1854 - 1914), and dated lower right - 1910. Summer View Of Well pole or Shadoof / sweep somewhere in Ukraine (due the specific wicker fences design). A hot summer day that causes thirst, water quenches it. Water, a symbol of life at all times. The well depicted in this painting. source of water and hence the source of life. Symbolism and philosophical overtones in this painting is the main message of the artist to us... Oil painting on canvas pasted on cardboard, framed, early 20th century. Size app.: 45 x 33 cm (roughly 17.7 x 12.99 in), framed by 56 x 44 cm (roughly 22.04 x 17.32 in). Very Good condition, age wear, canvas pasted on cardboard. Please study good resolution images for overall cosmetic condition. In person actual painting may appear darker than on our pictures, appearance also depends on sufficient light in your room. I. E. Krachkovsky - Polish-Russian landscape painter...

Johann August Frederik Carl‏ Lorange (1833 - 1875) was highly skilled Danish artist of German roots. Not much known on his biography, unfortunately, but most of his works were produc...

Signed lower centre “H. Vernet” presumably leads to French painter Émile Jean-Horace Vernet (1789 - 1863) more commonly known as simply Horace Vernet. “Lost Track” - This captivating...

Signed lower left “С Wilhemson” possibly leading to Carl Wilhelm Wilhelmson (1866 - 1928), was a Swedish painter, draftsman, graphic artist, art educator and professor at the Royal A...

Provenance: Ina Colliander, relative of the artist; A private collection, Sweden; Bukowskis, Stockholm, Important Winter Sale, 2025, lot 711. Exhibited: Thielska Gallery, Stockholm,...

Clara Löfgren (1843–1923) Sweden Pergola Noor, c.1890 oil on canvas laid down on board no signature unframed: 27.7 x 26.7 cm (10.9 x 10.5 in) framed: 35 x 34 cm (13.8 x 13.4 in) P...

This exquisite still life, painted in 1911, showcases Emma Ekwall’s mastery in capturing the vibrant textures and colors of fruit. The composition features apples and grapes arranged...

Johan (John Kindborg) (1861-1907) Sweden Nordic Winter Twilight, 1901 oil on canvas signed and dated Kindborg 01. unframed: 48.5 x 33 cm (19 1/8 x 13 in) framed: 58 x 43 cm (22 7/8...

Albert Roosenboom was a Belgian genre painter celebrated for his elegant depictions of everyday life in the mid to late 19th century. A pupil of the renowned Constantin Meunier, Roos...

Signed “E. Hofmann 24.IX 33” lower right. A touching family scene with a young street musician with flute and his caring sister. A gifted young ...

Signed lower left: Vasily (Wilhelm) Filippovich Levi (1878 - 1954). The uncommon view of Venice was depicted by gifted artist in even more modernism manner than his other works of same period. IMO this one worth special acceptance being very rare and highly desired masterwork. The scorching sun gilds the sparkling expanse of the canal with its rays. At this hour the city is empty. Calm waves gently lap against the keel of the gondola. The artist perfectly transferred to the canvas the atmospheric idyll and romantic magic of old Venice. Oil painting on wood, signed, framed. Size app.: 47 x 64 cm (roughly 18.5 x 25.2 in) and beautiful antique frame ca 64.5 x 81 cm (roughly 25.4 x 31.9 in). Very Good condition, ready to hang condition, age wear (just minor wear to frame finish). Please study good resolution images for overall cosmetic condition. In person actual painting may appear darker or brighter than in our pictures, strictly depending on sufficient light in your environment. Weight of app. 3.2 kg is going to measure some 5 kg packed for shipment. V. F. Levi - lawyer, collector, and also an artist. He spent his childhood in Riga, studied at the Alexander Gymnasium. He graduated from the 1st Kharkov Gymnasium (1899) and the Faculty of Law of Kharkov University. In 1916 he moved to Terijoki, built a house there and decided to devote himself to art. In 1918, on the advice of I. I. Brodsky, he showed his works to I. E. Repin and received his approval. After some time, he became Repin's confidant: during 1919-1930, he organized more than 50 Repin exhibitions in Helsinki, Prague, The Hague, Hamburg, Nice, Cannes and other European cities. In 1930-1939 he lived in Paris. In 1930 he participated in the Exhibition of Paintings by Russian Masters...

Herman Österlund was a renowned Swedish artist recognized for his stunning portrayals of the west coast of Sweden. In 1896, he relocated to Stockholm and successfully passed the entr...

Abstract oil painting on canvas :: Painting :: Abstract Expressionism :: This piece comes with an official certificate of authenticity signed by the artist :: Ready to Hang: Yes :: S...

Niels Frederik Martin Rohde, born 27 May 1816 in Copenhagen, died 14 July 1886 at Frederiksberg Castle, Copenhagen, was a Danish painter. Rodhe studied, among other things, at Det Ko...

Niels Frederik Martin Rohde, born 27 May 1816 in Copenhagen, died 14 July 1886 at Frederiksberg Castle, Copenhagen, was a Danish painter. Rodhe studied, among other things, at Det ...

Mixed media piece by Robert van Bolderick that utilizes scraps of vintage newspapers and images layered over a background of blue paint to produce an authentically collaged original ...

Olof Arborelius (1842‑1915). View from Capri with Vesuvius in the background. Monogram signed OA. Oil on canvas laid on cardboard, 31 x 46 cm. Certified on verso: "Painted by Olof A...

Anton Jonsson Genberg, born 20 June 1862 in Östersund, died 8 January 1939 in Saltsjö-Storängen in Stockholm County, was a Swedish painter. Genberg painted naturalistically with the ...

Edvard Diriks was an older cousin of Edvard Munch. Unlike Munch who was a true expressionist, he was more inspired by the french impressionists like Renoir and Monet. Later on he de...