Charlotte Wahlström (1849-1924) - Haystack, c. 1895

Charlotte Wahlström (1849-1924) Sweden

Haystack, c. 1895

oil on a Swedish wood panel
signed Charlotte Wahlström
unframed 22.7 x 14.7 cm (8.93 x 5.78 inches)
framed 30 x 22 cm (11.81 x 8.66 inches)

Provenance:
A Swedish private collection


Essay:
We are proud to showcase a captivating painting by Charlotte Wahlström, a petite yet enthralling painting measuring just 22.7 x 14.7 cm. The subject depicts a haystack situated on a meadow, close to a log cabin. Illuminated by warm sunlight, the haystack is brought to life with broad, thick brushstrokes, under a clear blue sky. The technique used is distinctly impressionistic, reminiscent of the style that was prominent during that period.

Created around 1895, this piece emerges a few years after Claude Monet's renowned series of haystacks which, like ours, often portrayed the exquisite lighting highlighting the stacks. It's intriguing to speculate if Monet's work influenced Wahlström's interpretation, given the similarities in the light portrayal.

Born as the daughter of builder Anders Wahlström and Carolina Setterberg, Charlotte was the niece of the city architect of Vasa, Carl Axel Setterberg. Wahlström embarked on her artistic journey at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts in Stockholm from 1878 to 1883, where she was honored with a royal medal in landscape painting in 1883. Post her time in Stockholm, she traveled to Paris and Brittany in 1885, subsequently venturing to Germany, the Netherlands, and Belgium on scholarship funds. By 1889, she had spent time in the artist colony of Barbizon.

Her accomplishments are numerous. She was awarded a bronze medal at the World's Fair in Saint Louis, USA, in 1904 and received the Idun magazine prize in 1911. She participated in exhibitions held by the Royal Academy of Fine Arts, as well as numerous collective exhibitions organized by the General Art Association of Sweden, Swedish Artists' Association, and the Association of Swedish Female Artists. She was represented in the Baltic Exhibition and several exhibitions in Copenhagen and Munich. Her paintings, often characterized by outstanding coloristic landscapes, frequently featured scenes from Skåne, Värmland, Dalarna, and the West Coast.

Today, Wahlström's legacy can be witnessed in various esteemed institutions including the Göteborg Art Museum, National Museum in Stockholm, Östergötland Museum, Malmö Museum, the County Museum in Östersund, and Örebro County Museum.

Comparable sale:
A larger painting (81x49 cm) with a similar motif was sold at Stockholms Auktionsverk in 2019, fetching a total price of 6000 €.