Ingeborg Westfelt-Eggertz (1855-1936) - Lost in Thoughts, St.Nazair (Bretagne)

Ingeborg Westfelt-Eggertz (1855-1936) Sweden

Lost in Thoughts, before 1890

oil on canvas laid in masonite
painted c. 1883-1889
signed I Westfelt, St.Nazair (Bretagne)
unframed 23 x 21 cm
framed 39 x 36 cm

Condition:
Very good condition with bright and clear colors.


Essay:
We are delighted to offer a unique and evocative piece by the Swedish artist Ingeborg Westfelt-Eggertz. This small oil sketch captures a moment in time, portraying a young man seated amidst the grass. Dressed in a vest and hat, the young boy appears to be in his late teens or early twenties. His gaze is directed away, captured in contemplation or perhaps lost in distant thoughts. Painted with swift strokes, the artwork embodies spontaneity, presenting an unfinished portrait of the young man surrounded by rapidly rendered greenery.

There's a distinct charm to unfinished artworks and oil sketches like this one. Such paintings offer a rare insight into the artist's creative process, almost serving as a window into their thoughts and initial intentions. At many times a sketch can be more interesting than a finished painting, as it reveals the raw, unfiltered essence of the artist's vision.

The sketch is signed and the place of its creation is inscribed on the front: Saint Nazaire, Bretagne, painted around 1883-1889.

Born in Stockholm on 17th May 1855, Ingeborg Aurora Westfelt-Eggertz was a pivotal figure in the Swedish art world. Daughter to chamberlain Carl Peter Westfelt and Aurora Charlotta Löthman, she later married the editor August Emil Eggertz in 1893. Her artistic journey began at the Technical School and then led her to the Royal Academy of Fine Arts in Stockholm from 1873 to 1880. Further honing her craft, she studied under Collin and Courtois in Paris by 1883. While in Paris, she opened a school for young women from high society in 1887 and contributed drawings to the Delagrave publishing firm.

Returning to Stockholm in 1890, she co-established a painting school for female students with Elisabeth Keyser. Throughout her life, she shifted residences, living in places such as Visby, Landskrona, and finally settling in Gothenburg by 1903. No matter where she resided, Westfelt-Eggertz remained committed to educating and establishing painting schools for women alongside her personal creations. Her oeuvre consists mainly of genre scenes, figure depictions, and portraits, often in pastel. Several works from her Parisian period found homes with North and South American collectors.

Her accomplishments include awards such as a gold medal in oil painting in Arcachon in 1888, a silver medal in Versailles in 1889, and a Mention Honorable in Evreux. Her legacy is immortalized in esteemed institutions like the Göteborg Art Museum, Hallands Art Museum, Bohuslän Museum in Uddevalla, and the National Museum in Stockholm.