In the portrait from 1927 offered in this auction, we come close to the artist Einar Jolin. He confronts us with a steady yet somewhat inscrutable gaze, looking straight ahead and holding his brushes at the ready. His own personality takes centre stage, while elegant interior details give way to the act of painting. Hanging on the wall behind Jolin is the magnificent painting “Cirkus”, executed in 1917 but subsequently reworked and dated anew in 1926. It was sold at Bukowskis in spring 2026.

The painting offered in this auction differs from the artist’s many portraits of chic urbanites in elegantly furnished rooms. It also differs from the artist’s full-length self-portrait from 1927. Impeccably dressed, with every facial feature in place, his models exude an appealing aesthetic that can at times verge on caricature. In the present painting, however, we encounter the artist’s sensitive yet steady gaze. The following year, he travelled to France and Cassis sur Mer for a happy painting sojourn. Upon returning to Sweden, he abandoned his colour contrasts in favour of a more subdued palette. Einar Jolin’s well-known Stockholm scenes are executed in a light and gentle colour scheme.