








KARL EMANUEL JANSSON (1846-1874). Spruce rice-chopper/"Old man chopping spruce rice”.
Unsold | |
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Klubbas | Closed |
Hus | Stockholms Auktionsverk Nybrogatan 32 |
Föremålet har klubbats. |
Oil on canvas, 39 x 31 cm. Signed K-E Jansson and dated Df -69.
Jmf with a version of the motif, today in the collections of the Turku Art Museum entitled “Spruce Rishuggare”, inventory no. 444.
PROVENANCE
Possibly acquired directly by the artist through the Anckarkrona family, subsequently inherited to the present owner.
The work is accompanied by an extensive correspondence between Director Nils Bergsjö and Aimo Rietala, who discuss the work.
LITERATURE
Aimo Reitala “Karl Emanuel Janssona taide”, depicted in black and white on p. 94
“A newfound painting by K. E. Jansson” Åland Islands, 22 December 1928.
Ålänner Karl Emanuel Jansson (1846—1874) has been hailed as the farmer's son who became one of his time
leading folk life painter in Finland and Sweden. He was professionally active for only ten years.
1864—1874, before being snatched away at the age of 28.
Jansson grew up in Finström, Åland Islands, in a peasant family. His artistic talents were discovered
early and he was sent by the Finnish Art Society first to Turku drawing school, where he studied under
Robert Wilhelm Ekman's management. After two years, he continued his studies at the Academy of Fine Arts in
Stockholm 1862—1867. His teacher was Johan Christoffer Boklund, but in his art he took the most
impressions from Johan Fredrick Höckert's genre paintings. After his studies in Stockholm, he stayed.
Jansson spent a year in his native Åland where he made studies of the people, interiors and landscapes,
which he later used in his paintings with Åland motifs. Jansson was awarded the Finnish State
travel scholarship and completed his studies in Düsseldorf in 1868—70 under the direction of Gustav Stever and
Benjamin Vautier, In Düsseldorf he continued to paint Åland motifs using the studies he
made during their stay in their homelands.
“Man Chopping Spruce Rice” is painted in Düsseldorf, as the signature on the bottom left tells, “K. E.
Jansson. Df. -69". The old man has a pipe in his mouth and he wears a red top hat, breeches and a blue
jacket. He stands chopping spruce rice in front of a wood slide between a pile of firs and a forest sledge.
A pig crawls out of the shed in search of food. In the background a cottage is visible and behind it begins
the forest. It is spring-winter. The wet snow is melting and has formed icicles that hang from the thatched roof.
The work is a typical folk life painting that gives us an insight into rural life around the middle of
19th century. Jansson got inspiration for the painting from a colour lithograph by Ekman from 1867
depicting a boy from Hämeenlinna chopping spruce. The painting can also be interpreted as an allegory
over old age and winter. With its simple composition, the painting brings to mind medieval and
early modern representations of the seasons or months that were illustrated by single figures
who perform any chore typical of the time of year.
The motif was so successful that Jansson painted a second version of the same motif in 1871 with some differences in
the details. The latter painting is part of the Turku Art Museum's collection. This original version
has been in the possession of the same family and was possibly purchased directly by the artist in Düsseldorf.
Stockholms Auktionsverk would like to express its big thanks to the file. Dr. Lotta Nylund, Villa Gyllenberg, Helsinki, for her assistance with this work.
For further information and condition report, please contact cecilia.berggren@auktionsverket.com.