Glimpses From Sven-Harry’s Collection
2 June—26 August 2012
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2 June—26 August 2012
For the first time, a larger number of works from Sven-Harry Karlsson's rich art collection are being displayed. Curator Eva Asp has, together with Sven-Harry, selected 41 pieces. Some of the works come from Sven-Harry's private collection, while others are owned by the foundation he established.
The common thread in the exhibition is the color palette—apart from the owner himself! Ola Billgren's Portrait 1 from 1976 has been chosen as the introduction to the exhibition. It was acquired for the collection in 2007. Another piece purchased that same year is Olle Baertling's large Geometric Figure. Sven-Harry's collection includes several works by Ulrik Samuelsson, and his Sister Anna from 1973 is part of the exhibition Glimpses of. Usually, this oil painting, set on a gold background, hangs in the hall of the replica of the 18th-century manor house Ekholmsnäs, which is located on the museum's roof. The replica was opened on Sven-Harry's 80th birthday, December 8, 2011.
An early work by Carl Kylberg, Sunrise over Dalby Church, painted in the 1910s, is the oldest piece in the exhibition, although it is not the oldest work in the foundation's and Sven-Harry's collection. An oil painting by Kylberg—though not this one—was one of the first major acquisitions Sven-Harry made.
Regarding older paintings, Sven-Harry owns, among other things, the largest private collection of paintings and drawings by Carl Fredrik Hill (1849—1911), which are permanently displayed in the library of the replica of Ekholmsnäs manor.
The large collection of 20th-century works includes several paintings by Lennart Rodhe, three of which are in the exhibition: The Face, 1946; The Rose Thief, 1966; and Pattern, painted in the 1950s. Also included are Lena Cronqvist's Standing Girl and Nanna Doll, painted in 1993. Upon entering the museum, visitors can't miss Lena Cronqvist's large bronze sculpture Girl in Basin, from 2009. Other works in the exhibition include Birgit Broms' Skaters, Vera Nilson's suggestive piece from 1949, Catharina Köhler's Walk from 1986, and Ylva Ogland's Snöfrid at her Distillery, painted in 2008 and purchased the following year.
The exhibition doesn't only feature paintings. One of Sven-Harry's early acquisitions was a sculpture named Garden Cabinet by architect John Kandell from 1984. The wood collage Fragment of a Meeting by Elis Eriksson was acquired in 2000. The exhibition also includes a sculpture by Dan Wolgers, as well as a small bronze sculpture Sitting Girl by Stig Lindberg. Additionally, there is a mobile by Lars Englund titled Pars pro toto from 1990 and a sculpture by Danish artist Robert Jacobsen. If Jacobsen represents Denmark in this exhibition, then Composition by Alvar Aalto, painted in 1946, represents Finland.
The replica of Ekholmsnäs on the museum building's roof has been completed, the art hall is ready to host Sven-Harry's collection—and many others. The idea is that different exhibitions will follow one another in the 400-square-meter art space. Sven-Harry continues to make acquisitions. What exactly—well, that will be revealed by the museum on another occasion!
