Helene Schjerfbeck

Taidekauppa Boström, Helsinki
Margaretha Ehrnrooth (née Brusiin, 1900-1992; purchased from the above. Margaretha's mother Esther Lupander was a cousin of Helene Schjerfbeck, and the model for Dancing Shoes, of which the prime version was sold in these rooms in 2008)
Maria Ramsay, Esbo (by 1951; a gift from the above, her mother); thence by descent

Tenerife, Aula de Cultura de Tenerife, Homenaje a Alfonso Trujillo, Helene Schjerfbeck (1862-1946), 1982, illustrated in the catalogue

H. Ahtela (Einar Reuter), Helene Schjerfbeck, Stockholm, 1953, p. 368, no. 762, catalogued (as Kamelior)

The board is flat, even, and ensuring a stable support. There is one very small spot of paint flaking in the background towards the centre-right of the composition and some very minor spots in the green leaves to the left, as visible in the catalogue illustration. Some very small scattered spots of surface dirt, also noticeable in the catalogue illustration, are visible notably in the lower right quadrant of the composition. Ultra-violet light reveals no visible sign of retouching. This work is in good, virtually original condition, and its appearance would likely be greatly enhanced with a light surface clean. Presented in a simple silver and white wooden frame. Colours are somewhat less warm in reality than in the catalogue illustration.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

'Even in her still lifes, colour constitutes the single most important element…in her later still lifes, intense red and green, even black, serve as a means of creating form and spiritual intensity as an element removed and transposed from reality'

Salme Sarajas-Korte

Painted circa 1934.

Unseen in public for decades, Camellias is a rediscovery from Schjerfbeck's late period, belonging to a series of fruit and flower still lifes she painted from 1915 onwards. While in her early work still lifes often appear as embellishments to figural paintings, within her late oeuvre they become important subjects in their own right. 'The serenity of Helene Schjerfbeck's still lifes reflects the isolation and solitude through which the artist found the essential: the concentration of mind, contemplation and simplicity of expression provide immediate contact and impact' (Helmiriitta Sariola, 'Nature morte' in Helene Schjerfbeck, Ateneum, Helsinki, 1992, exh. cat. p. 83).

It was during the 1930s that Schjerfbeck also reached the height of public recognition. In 1934 a large number of her works were presented alongside those of three other Finnish painters at the Liljevalch Konsthall in Stockholm. That same year, the Nationalmuseum Stockholm, to whom Gösta Stenman had already donated a Schjerfbeck work in 1926, made its first purchase of a painting by Schjerfbeck, Tapestry Girl (1915). Stenman, who that year moved his gallery to Stockholm, also donated one painting each to the art museums of Malmö and Ekilstuna. And three years later he organised Schjerfbeck's second large-scale solo exhibition, a show that included almost one hundred exhibits.