Ragnar Person – The Storyteller of Colours

Ragnar Person (1905–1993) is one of the most captivating Swedish artists of the 20th century, whose work blends a sense of folk intimacy with international modernism. With an instinctive eye for both the drama of everyday life and its festive moments, he created paintings that vibrate with life, movement, and human warmth.

His early career led him to the Halmstad Group, where he studied from 1929 to 1930 under Esaias Thorén and Waldemar Lorentzon. Even then, his artistic language began to take shape, and a few years later, when he travelled to Paris to study under Marcel Gromaire, he developed his unique expression.

It is above all through his distinctive use of colour that Ragnar Person became unmistakable. With rich reds, deep greens, and intense shades of blue, he created a powerful atmosphere that lent weight to every scene. Weddings, auctions, dance halls, and funerals became eternal moments, charged with emotion and presence. He was equally assured when depicting the boulevards of Paris, where the city’s pulse and movement were brought to life through his brushstrokes.

During the 1980s and 1990s, Ragnar Person achieved great success, and his works fetched high prices at auction. He became an artist with whom many felt a personal connection – almost beloved by the public – and whose art appealed to both collectors and a wider audience. Today, although his name is less prominent, his art once again emerges as a discovery waiting to be made: timeless, poetic, and just as relevant now as it was then.

Representation: Ragnar Person is represented in several of Sweden’s most important collections, including: Moderna Museet, Gothenburg Museum of Art, Jönköping County Museum, Kalmar Art Museum, Småland Museum in Växjö, and Vetlanda Museum.

Viewing: September 15–19, Berzelii Park 1, Stockholm
Open: 11 AM – 5 PM