Interior Looking Out

A compelling mid-century painting that explores the relationship between an intimate interior and the exterior world beyond, painted in oil in 1958 by the established Swedish artist Richard Björklund (1897–1974), whose works have been exhibited in public collections including the National Museum in Stockholm, Moderna Museet in Stockholm, Malmo Museum, Ystads Art Museum, and others.

The viewer appears positioned within an enclosed room, looking outward through a doorway or architectural opening towards a fragmented exterior landscape.

The composition reveals clear influences of Cubism and geometric abstraction, with both the interior and exterior reduced to overlapping planes, angular forms and blocks of colour. Rather than relying on conventional perspective, the artist constructs space through intersecting shapes and shifting viewpoints, allowing the boundaries between foreground, interior architecture and the world outside to subtly dissolve.

Within the foreground, broad passages of red, burgundy, mustard, forest green and deep blue suggest the interior through abstracted fragments of flooring, furnishings and shadow. Tall vertical planes of powder blue, grey and creamy white frame either side of the composition, creating the impression of walls or a doorway and directing the eye towards the exterior.

Beyond this opening, the outside world becomes increasingly fragmented. Geometric arrangements of blue, brown, olive, grey and black loosely evoke buildings, rooftops and windows, while small golden-yellow forms towards the upper centre suggest structures illuminated by light. The exterior remains recognisable without ever becoming literal, hovering beautifully between architecture and pure abstraction.

The palette is rich and confidently balanced, with saturated reds and blues offset by earthy browns, muted greens, cool greys and whites. Dark passages of charcoal and near-black provide structure, while flashes of yellow and orange bring warmth and rhythm to the composition.

Paint is applied in broad, assured strokes, with visible brushwork and deliberately softened, irregular edges preventing the geometric construction from feeling overly rigid. Areas of dense, opaque pigment contrast with thinner and more loosely worked passages, giving the surface a wonderfully tactile quality

This oil on canvas is presented in an elegant gilt wood frame with an inner linen border. Both the painting and frame are in excellent vintage condition.

Size: 71.5 x 49 cm (including frame)