Peter Dahl

The auction's art work is a study, before the creation of Peter Dahl's monumental painting, "Who is the king of the inn?" from 1981. The monumental painting belongs to the collections of Norrköping Art Museum, Sweden. The artist himself sits in the center, with a alcohol glass in his hand.

"In the self-portrait "Who is the king of the inn?” the artist sits in the center surrounded by a buzzing entourage. The surrounding figures are sharper than the main object, as if the imagery himself thought he was not really in his right place. "
Excerpt from the Swedish newspaper Dagens Nyheter, 12/5 2018

“As a burlesque narrator in Johan Tobias Sergel's spirit and tradition, Peter Dahl will continue to exist in the Swedish art world. Not least because he was one of the artists who, like the role model Rembrandt, placed himself in his paintings. Especially in the paintings from the Stockholm restaurants, where he was a frequent visitor. He sits in his own majesty at Gyldene Freden, eats Baltic herring and raises the glass next to the old tiled stove at Tennstopet and at KB, the artist's bar, he holds court as befits a true painter prince.
Dahl's self portrait is perhaps most clearly expressed in a painting from 1981 in which a figure, very similar to the artist, is surrounded by a cluster of charming ladies. The title of the work is a question: "Who is the king of the inn?"

Excerpt from the Swedish newspaper Svenska Dagbladet 18/5 2019