Harald Sohlberg – From Værvågen, The Fisherman’s Cottage. UPDATE: IT SOLD FOR £1,208,750
One of the most evocative landscapes by Norwegian artist Harald Sohlberg ever at auction comes up at Sotheby’s sale of 19th century European paintings in London on December 14. From Værvågen, The Fisherman’s Cottage marks the culmination on a grand scale of Sohlberg’s aim to capture on canvas the reaction he experienced standing before the sublime scale of nature. The artist is known and loved in Norway but rarely features at international auctions.
Painted in 1921, the landscape – measuring 94 by 121 cm – was acquired from Sohlberg by Alfred W.G. Larsen, manager of a leading company in the import of wine and spirits in Norway. His sister Tulla had a tempestuous relationship with Edvard Munch culminating in an infamous shooting accident in which Munch injured two fingers. Throughout his career Sohlberg repeatedly denied any claims that he was under the influence of Munch, six years his senior. The younger artist’s ‘mood-painting’ had less of a psychological component that Munch’s, but a comparison with the titan of Norwegian art has proven irresistible. An exhibition exploring their relationship was held in New York in 1995, titled Munch/Sohlberg: Landscapes of the Mind.
Claude Piening, Head of 19th Century European Paintings, Sotheby’s London, said: “From Værvågen is a powerful fusion of Romanticism and Expressionism, exuding a sense of awe in the face of the vastness of nature but also an intense feeling of longing and belonging. Large-scale landscapes by Sohlberg appear on the market only very rarely. As well as its rarity, the painting is also distinguished by its impeccable provenance and untouched original condition, having remained until today in the possession of the family of its first owner.” It is estimated at £600,000-800,000 and looks set to establish a new auction record for Sohlberg.
UPDATE: IT SOLD FOR £1,208,750
