Untitled, 1933. Signed on the reverse. Oil on canvas. 60×42 cm.

Untitled, 1933. Signed on the reverse. Oil on canvas. 60×42 cm. Literature: Jan Würtz Frandsen: “Richard Mortensen 1930–1940. Ungdomsårene 1930–1940. Mellem surrealisme og abstraktion”, fig. 71, reproduced full page p. 82. Provenance: Galerie Birch, Copenhagen. “Throughout the 1930s, Mortensen’s paintings remain thematically and motivically consistent. Eroticism, in its many guises, constitutes the prevailing theme—though prior to 1935, it is often treated with a considerable dose of humor and irony. In these works, eroticism is visualized as an original and universal act of creation. A particularly nuanced example of this mode is a composition from late 1933. The thistle-like, aggressively proliferating organic forms in both light and dark hues are striking. The composition may be described as a 'botanical portrait'—arguably Mortensen’s first of its kind.” ( Jan Würtz Frandsen, pp. 80–81) This lot is subject to Artist's Royalty . Artist’s Royalty In accordance with Danish copyright law, an additional royalty fee is to be paid for the purchase of works by contemporary Danish artist and some international artists who are either still alive, or who died within the last 70 years. Read more ×