Framed Ink Sketch, Shells, By Gunnar Hållander (b1915)

Dimensions incl frame: 26.5 x 36.5 cm
Image dimensions: 16 x 26.5 cm.
 
Gunnar Hållander (b. 1915)
Shells
Ink on paper, c. mid-20th century
Framed: 27 × 35.5 cm | Image: 14.5 × 23 cm
Signed lower right
In this expressive ink drawing, Swedish artist Gunnar Hållander reduces the natural forms of seashells to bold, angular geometries. With tightly controlled crosshatching and confident linework, he imbues the static still life with an unexpected sense of movement and depth. The rhythmic repetition of lines in the background contrasts sharply with the sculptural solidity of the forms in the foreground, suggesting both a reverence for nature and a modernist inclination toward abstraction.
Though lesser known outside Scandinavia, Hållander’s work reflects mid-century Scandinavian aesthetics—restrained yet tactile, attentive to natural forms while engaging in a quiet dialogue with international modernism.