Norden by Anna-Eva Bergman
This is an etching by Swedish artist Anna-Eva Bergman. It dates from 1958 when she was moving to a simpler more minimalist style using simple lines and monochromatic colors. It is titled Norden (North). The subject is abstract, but is rendered in a deep blue ink on white paper evoking the colors of snow and ice. The linear composition with converging lines is reminiscent of Hans Hartung, Bergman's life partner. While better known as a painter, later in her career she created several etchings and Norden is stylistically similar to these other works. The plate size is given above. The piece is framed and is floated on an archival backing. It has not been examined outside the frame. The frame is 12.75 x 16.75 inches. It is signed in pencil lower right and the edition is given lower left 37/300. Her initials are printed in reverse in the plate lower right along with the date, 58. An outstanding work by this artist.
Anna-Eva Bergman (1909 – 1987)
Anna-Eva Bergman was born in Stockholm on May 29, 1909 to a Norwegian mother and a Swedish father. She exhibited an early talent for drawing that led to studies at the Academy of Fine Arts in Oslo (1927) and at the School of Applied Arts in Vienna (1928).
In 1929, she moved to Paris and enrolled at the André Lhote Academy where she met Hans Hartung, to whom she got married the same year. From 1933 to 1934, the couple lived on the island of Menorca in the Balearic Islands. The relationship didn't work the first time and she divorced Hartung in 1938. From this time until after World War II she worked primarily as an illustrator. After the war she returned to painting but changed to a non-representational style dominated by line and rhythm. Her style was further transformed by trips along the Norwegian coast which led to abstracted landscapes and innovative use of light influenced by the Northern latitudes. This culminated in a series of paintings and drawings she called Fragments of an Island in Norway which focused on the structure of rocks.
In 1952, Bergman moved to Paris where she again encountered Hans Hartung. They remarried in 1957 and they remained together for the rest of their lives. Her work continued to evolve incorporating themes and motifs from nature using similar approaches to lighting learned during her visit to Norway in the early 1950s.
Hartung and Bergman moved to Antibes in 1973 where together they designed their house and studios which later became the Hartung-Bergman Foundation. Bergman’s work evolved towards increasingly simpler forms and a restricted color palette. She also explored other media including etching. Bergman's first exhibition was at the Autumn Exhibition in Oslo during 1948. She later had exhibitions at Stockholm, Paris, Nuremberg and Hanover. Her work is included in the collection of the Musée national des beaux-arts du Québec. The Foundation Hartung Bergman at Antibes maintains a public display of her works.
Price: $925
Framed Size: 12.75 x 16.75 inches
Plate Size: 7.75 x 11.75 inches
Condition: Excellent
Medium: Etching
Subject: Abstract
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