Crosscurrents

A striking mid-century abstract composition rendered with a bold sense of colour, movement and spontaneity, painted in oil onto board by the established Swedish painter Hans Osswald (1919-1983), whose works have been exhibited at the National Museum in Stockholm, Malmö Museum as well as The Brooklyn Museum.

The painting is built from broad, interlocking passages of colour, with sweeping forms layered across the surface to create a dynamic sense of rhythm and depth.

The composition is distinctly Abstract Expressionist in character, with an emphasis on gesture, colour and the physical act of painting rather than recognisable subject matter. Strong areas of red anchor the lower half of the work, while intense blues punctuate the upper and central passages. These vivid tones are balanced by expanses of cool grey, black and white, with flashes of orange, blush pink and earthy brown adding warmth and complexity.

The brushwork is wonderfully expressive and varied. Broad, vigorous strokes sweep diagonally through the composition, while areas of thicker, more textured paint sit alongside flatter passages of colour. Rough edges, visible layering and occasional flashes of underlying pigment give the work a wonderfully immediate, energetic quality. The dark, gestural forms cutting through the upper half provide a particularly strong counterpoint to the brilliant red below.

This oil on canvas is presented in a unique gilt frame with a deep-red fabric surround, finished with an inner gilt slip. The painting has some stable areas of craquelure present, consistent with the age and nature of the work, which do not detract from the overall appearance.

Size: 53 x 45 cm (including frame)