Portrait of Einar Nerman's friend and schoolmate, the artist William Nording.
Signed E. Nerman, pencil on paper, 45 x 26 cm.

Einar Nerman and William Nording became classmates in 1909 at the "L´académie Matisse" in Paris (Matisse Academy) where they both studied for the French master. The drawing to be auctioned is done at this time. From 1909 and the following years, Einar Nerman, William Nording, Isaac Grünewald and Sigrid Hjertén, among others, belonged to what are today called the Swedish Matisse students.

During his years of study in Paris, Einar Nerman regularly made portraits of his classmates. Over the years, the National Museum in Stockholm has acquired a number of these artist portraits, made by Einar Nerman. The National Museum's collection therefore includes, among others, Einar Nerman's portraits of Isaac Grünewald, Einar Jolin, Arthur Percy, Leander Engström and Birger Simonsson.

The artists listed above belonged to the core of the Swedish artist group "De Unga", also called "1909 men". "De Ungas" first exhibition in Stockholm in 1909 is regarded by art historians as the breakthrough of modernism in Swedish art.