Two Figures by Fabian Lundqvist

ERA: 1960s

PROVENANCE: Sweden

MATERIAL: Oil on canvas

CONDITION: Wear consistent with age

 

Lundqvist grew up in the Skåne region in southern Sweden, an area that became known for its artists’ colonies from the nineteenth century. His father was a carpenter so presumably his early memories involved watching him in his workshop, soaking in the atmosphere of creativity. In 1938 he entered the Skånes Painting School, a well-known establishment that had been founded in Malmo, the largest local city, a decade before. The school’s principal Tage Hansson (1889–1968) was a highly competent painter, whose work although traditional in technique was far from old fashioned and demonstrated an awareness of contemporary international artistic currents. Two years under Hansson left Lundqvist with a sound grounding in painting technique that stood him well for the next half century. In 1946 he returned to the school to spend a year’s further studies with the German-Danish sculptor Harald Isenstein (1898-1980.