29/05/2026
Important Spring Sale presents "Hämta vatten" by Anders Zorn and a Gustavian marquetry commode by G. Iwersson (master in Stockholm 1778-1813) as two highlights in the auction.
When Anders Zorn passes away, he does so as one of Sweden's foremost artists of all time. Whatever medium he embraced, he did so with a rarely seen skill and elegance, seemingly uncomplicated and spontaneous, yet often carefully studied and prepared. Likewise, he moved effortlessly between the aristocracy and the common folk, both clothed and buttoned-up as well as naked and free.
From a young age, Anders Zorn was drawn to the world beyond his homeland and undertook many journeys to various exciting places. His remarkably skilled technique as a watercolourist garnered international attention, not least through portraits and genre scenes exhibited at shows across Europe. Zorn's breakthrough came during his travels in London and Paris, where he adapted to an international audience and developed his characteristic painting style.
Despite international influences and successes, he always held his homeland in Dalarna in high regard. Mora remained the obvious place for celebrations such as Christmas and Midsummer, and it was in the simple everyday life that he felt most at home. After nearly ten years with Paris as a base, Anders and his wife Emma chose to return to Sweden in the summer of 1896 and settle in Mora, where the artist deepened his interest in the Swedish landscape and rural life. Here, he developed a more nationally oriented subject matter, depicting the common folk, traditions, and nature, often in the form of naked or semi-naked figures in open-air settings.
Iwersson was perhaps the most accomplished Gustavian cabinetmaker after Georg Haupt, and he became the leading master during the subsequent Late Gustavian period. Although the chest of drawers in the auction is unsigned, it can nevertheless be attributed with certainty to the work of Gottlieb Iwersson.
Read more about the works and register to bid at our website.
Viewing: June 4–9, Berzelii Park 1, Stockholm
Live auction: June 10–12
