Framed Etchings, Three Portraits, Stig Olson (1936-2016)

STIG OLSON (1936–2016)
Portraits, 3
Frame dimensions 68x53.5 cm.

Etchings, each signed; numbered 1/10, PT, and Sample respectively
This thoughtfully assembled suite of three etchings presents a focused study of the human face by Swedish graphic artist Stig Olson. Each portrait bears the hallmarks of Olson’s expressive, exploratory line, a pared-back yet psychologically charged rendering of form that feels at once immediate and deeply considered.
The group includes
• Upper left: Etching on paper, sheet approx. 16.5 × 12.5 cm, numbered 1/10, signed.
• Lower left: Etching, plate approx. 12.5 × 11 cm, marked PT, signed.
• Right: Etching, plate approx. 16.5 × 12.5 cm, marked Sample, signed and dedicated to a name that proves tricky to decipher.
 
Olson, a graphic artist, cartoonist and collage-maker, was known for a restless creative energy and a willingness to test the boundaries of technique. His subjects ranged widely but frequently returned to landscapes, portraits and figurative compositions, all distilled through a distinctive, searching line. For his series of portraits of the poet Gustaf Fröding, Olson was awarded the Fröding Medal in 1998.
His work is held in numerous public collections, including the Nationalmuseum, the Gripsholm Portrait Collection, Moderna Museet in Stockholm, Göteborgs Konstmuseum, Malmö Museum, the collection of H.M. the King, Värmlands Museum, and the museums of Örebro, Norrköping, Linköping, Visby, Ystad, Västerås and Eskilstuna. A self-portrait by Olson is also included in the esteemed collection of the Uffizi Gallery, Florence.
A quietly compelling trio, these portraits reveal Olson’s ability to find presence and personality through the most economical means.