1721/​615

Robert Jacobsen (b. Copenhagen 1912, d. Egtved 1993)

“Happiness”, 1984. Signed RJ. Black painted wood. H. 203 cm. W. 182 cm. D. 180 cm.

PLEASE NOTE: Viewing takes place at Baltikavej 10, Nordhavn, Copenhagen.

1986 became a high point in Robert Jacobsen's Asian adventure with the unveiling of the monumental iron sculpture “Venskab” (Friendship) in the People's Republic of China, “I, who do not write, I looked at the Chinese writing ... I saw them sculpturally,” says Robert Jacobsen. From his studio near Egtved the artist worked with Chinese calligraphy in his later career. The simple beauty of the characters appealed to Jacobsen and resulted in a range of sculptural abstractions related to China, whereof none, however, have the format to match the magnificent “Venskab”. The story begins many years earlier, all the way back to Egtved-pigen (the Egtved girl) and her burial place in the undulating countryside around Vejle. Here Jacobsen constructs, in the years 1986–1991, a series of landscape sculptures in a dialogue with the area's history, materials and the sun's movement across the sky. While the day moves from light towards darkness, and the year moves from winter to summer, the appearance of the sculptures change. “Happiness” from 1981 is a small wooden model of “Venskab”. The sculpture gazes both ahead and back into history, timeless yet subject to the present, as a primordial form preceding both Jacobsen's work with the nature of Jutland and the Chinese culture. The sculpture exists in several different versions. A bronze version of the sculpture is situated in Kongens Have, while the large iron sculpture has been resold to the Sammlung Würth, Künzelsau, Germany. Literature: Different versions of the figure are mentioned in Descargues: “Robert Jacobsen: Conversations 1971–1991” p. 132, and the Gothenburg Museum of Art: “Theme Chinois” cat. no. 2. Exhibited: The Black Diamond Library, Copenhagen, c. 1995. Provenance: “Jydebrødrene” (the Petersen Brothers). Provenance: Galerie Edeling, Copenhagen.

This lot is subject to Artist's Royalty.
Condition

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Additional Remarks

Please note: The item is subject to the Anti-Money Laundering Act. In the event of a hammer price of DKK 50,000 or more, including buyer’s premium, the buyer must submit a copy of a valid photo ID and proof of address in order to collect the item.

Auction

Modern art and design, 23 May 2017

Category
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30,000 DKK

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55,000 DKK  

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