Germann
Composition
Mixed media on board
Original catalogue wording
Komposition
Mischtechnik auf Karton.
Date to be documented
Catalogue reference — sale not confirmed
View the lot at the auction house ↗SwissArtGallery · Documented identity
Thorvald Hellesen
Born : 1888Died : 1937Documented citizenships : Norway
The Norwegian painter and designer Thorvald Hellesen (1888–1937) is associated with Orphic Cubism and the beginnings of non-figurative art. After studying at the National Academy of Fine Arts in Oslo under Christian Krohg, he moved to Paris in 1912. There he worked with Fernand Léger and met Picasso, two encounters documented by the sources without being attributed a decisive role in his development.
His exhibition activity spanned Norway and Paris. The source records only one exhibition of his work in his native country, in 1919; from 1920, he took part in the Salon des Indépendants and in exhibitions at Galerie la Boëtie. In 1925, he participated in the Exposition internationale L’Art d’Aujourd’hui in Paris. His practice was not limited to painting: he also produced decorative works, notably for Sjøfartsbygningen, or Maritime Building, in Oslo, and designed patterns for textiles and wallpaper. These activities attest to the range of media in which he worked, from painting to decorative design.
A lot titled Komposition, listed for sale, provides a material example of his work: the catalogue entry describes it as mixed media on cardboard, 53 × 42 cm, signed lower right. It sold for CHF 7,000, excluding fees, and its provenance is listed as a Swiss private collection. The reception of his work was also reflected in retrospective presentations: in 1986, Galerie 1900-2000 brought together thirty-six works made between 1915 and 1928. In November 2023, the National Museum of Norway presented an exhibition devoted to the artist, entitled “Thorvald Hellesen. Pioneering Cubism”.
This profile brings together identity references for Thorvald Hellesen and paintings, drawings and works on paper documented in auction catalogues.
Documented auction references
2auction references
1auction house
Germann
References include catalogue entries and available results; they do not all represent completed sales.
Works recorded at auction
Germann
Ohne Titel, um 1920
Oil on canvas
Original catalogue wording
Ohne Titel, um 1920
Öl auf Leinwand.
Date to be documented
Catalogue reference — sale not confirmed
View the lot at the auction house ↗Sources and references
- Reference record
- LoC · Public domain (id.loc.gov authority metadata; link only)
- Documentary source
- Documentary source
SwissArtGallery documentary note based on the cited sources. Titles, media and qualifications are provided in the profile language; the original catalogue wording remains available in each record.
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