Portraits – Page 5 – The Discerning Palette

Showing 121–150 of 265 results

Circle of Light

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An endearing and uplifting mid-century figurative landscape that captures a moment of shared presence, as a group of simplified figures stand hand-in-hand and appear to be dancing in a circular formation, executed in oil onto board.

At the centre, a vivid burst of yellow – suggestive of sheaves of wheat or a glowing harvest bundle – anchors the composition, radiating warmth. Above, small birds in flight animate the sky, adding a sense of movement and freedom.

Rendered in a distinctly modernist, almost naïve style, the figures are intentionally reduced to essential forms. The colour palette is bold and expressive: saturated yellows and greens dominate the foreground, conveying warmth and vitality, while deep blues and teals in the sky and garments provide a cooling counterbalance. Subtle pink tones for the faces introduce a human softness, gently breaking the graphic simplicity.

Brushwork is loose and confident, with visible, sweeping strokes that give the painting a tactile, almost rhythmic quality. The layering of paint – particularly in the sky and fields – adds depth and movement, while the central yellow form is applied more thickly, enhancing its visual prominence.

This oil on board is presented in a complementary warm, natural wood frame. Both the painting and frame are in excellent vintage condition.

Size: 63 x 63 cm (including frame)

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Silver Moon Folktale

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This 1970s textile artwork is a captivating handwoven tapestry that merges myth, fantasy, and modern abstraction into a richly coloured composition typical of Scandinavian textile art from the era.

At its centre stands a regal female figure — possibly a queen or an ethereal spirit — distinguished by her long flowing blue gown, slender form, and small golden crown. Her dark hair and serene, pale face draw the eye immediately, creating a striking focal point amidst the surrounding geometry of colour. She appears to stand on a circular stage or pedestal, her form tapering elegantly as it rises, evoking both poise and stillness.

Above her, a luminous sphere — perhaps a moon or an orb of light — glows softly, while behind her, a tapestry of vertical colour blocks in purples, blues, and greens forms an abstract forest or curtain-like backdrop. The angular, overlapping shapes lend the piece a rhythmic sense of movement and depth, as if the scene is unfolding in a dreamlike theatre.

The palette — a harmony of cool blues, violets, teals, and greens — creates a mystical, nocturnal atmosphere, enhanced by the softness of the woven texture. Mounted on a light linen backing, the work feels both structured and ethereal.

This tapestry beautifully embodies the 1970s Nordic modernist aesthetic — combining storytelling and symbolism with bold design and craftsmanship. The result is an enchanting, almost fairy-tale-like image that feels timeless, mysterious, and quietly majestic.

This vintage tapestry remains in very good condition. It is mounted onto fabric lined board, and is ready to hang. The needlepoint is very slightly irregular, which is typical for handmade or traditionally textile pieces, adding to its authenticity and charm.

Size: 33.5 x 27 cm

To view more vintage textiles in our collection, click here. The rug clamps as seen in this photo will be removed before delivery. If you would like to purchase these bronze clamps you can do so here.

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Autumn Meadow

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An energetic mid-century composition that captures a serene autumnal landscape with a bold, expressive hand, executed in oil onto board.

In the foreground, a textured grey-and-moss-green boulder anchors the scene beside the slender trunk of a tree, its bark rendered in rich browns and greens. Beyond, a sweep of pale golden grass opens into a stand of trees, their foliage glowing in autumnal shades, set against the deep forest green of distant conifers. The sky above is a tapestry of soft sage and buttery yellows, painted in horizontal strokes that evoke a gentle, crisp light.

Executed in a post-impressionist style, the artist has used thick, confident brushstrokes laid in distinct, visible blocks of colour, giving the scene a rhythmic energy and tactile depth. The harmonious yet vibrant palette conveys both the warmth of early autumn and the cool undertones of the season’s approach.

This oil on board is housed in a complementary wide wooden frame with an inner linen border. Both painting and frame are in excellent vintage condition.

Size: 61 x 70 cm (including frame)

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Abstracted Presence

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A striking mid-century modernist abstract figurative composition, painted in oil onto canvas 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 presents a loosely defined human form, distilled into bold, expressive shapes. The figure emerges through a careful balance of abstraction and suggestion – its head and torso implied through layered blocks rather than precise lines, inviting the viewer to interpret posture and presence rather than fixed identity.

The composition is anchored by a warm, radiant palette. Rich browns and golden yellows dominate the background, evoking warmth and light, while deep charcoal and inky black forms carve out the silhouette. Soft passages of cream and off-white sweep across the figure, creating contrast and a sense of movement. A muted blush and earthy rose tone subtly punctuate the composition, adding depth and a quiet emotional resonance.

The brushwork is confident and gestural, with visible strokes that vary from broad, matte swathes to more textured, layered applications. Some areas reveal dry-brush techniques, allowing the underlayers to breathe through, while others are more densely applied, giving weight and structure. The interplay between rough and refined surfaces enhances the tactile quality of the piece.

This oil on canvas is presented in a frame that features a slim profile with a soft, brushed gold finish. The painting is in excellent vintage condition, and there are some scuffs to the corners of the frame.

Size: 84 x 63.5 cm (including frame)

Free domestic (UK) shipping. As this artwork is very large, it is unlikely that we will be able to ship it internationally. If you are very interested and are located outside of the UK, please contact us and we will see what we can do.

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Seaside Passage

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A striking modernist style coastal landscape with figure oil painting, by Swedish artist Eric Elfvén (1921–2008), whose works have been exhibited in public collections including the Moderna Museet in Stockholm, Jönköping Museum, Borås Art Museum, and the Victoria and Albert Museum in London.

The painting presents a solitary figure walking through an archway toward a sunlit terrace overlooking the sea. The composition is rendered in bold, flattened planes of colour – sand, blue, soft cream, and oceanic blue – evoking both architectural space and emotional stillness.

The artist has used a minimalist palette and simplified forms to reduce the scene to its essential elements, allowing light and shadow to define the narrative. Brushstrokes are broad and deliberate, with slight texture in the ground planes suggesting the warmth of a Mediterranean setting. This evocative work captures a fleeting, almost cinematic moment of solitude and transition.

This oil on board is housed in a complementary gilt frame. The painting is in excellent vintage condition. The frame has some scuffs at its corners.

Size: 40 x 48 cm (including frame)

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Woman in Repose

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A small yet very impactful mid century abstract figurative oil composition, by the established Swedish artist Ivar Morsing (1919-2009), whose works have been exhibited in public collections including the National Museum in Stockholm, Moderna Museet in Stockholm, Kalmar Museum, and Jönköping Museum.

The painting captures the delicate stillness of a seated female figure through a haze of muted earth tones and gestural brushwork. The composition is softened by a palette of dark green, cream, dusty rose, black, and pale blue, evoking a dreamlike ambiance.

The figure, loosely rendered, appears to be draped in a light dress, reclining against an abstracted backdrop that hints at foliage or stone. The artist has used confident, impressionistic strokes to blur the boundaries between subject and setting, allowing light and shadow to dissolve form. The painter’s technique embraces abstraction, with layered brushwork and softened edges creating an evocative play between motion and stillness.

This oil on board is housed in a complementary wide profile gilt frame. The painting is in excellent vintage condition. There are some very minor scuffs to the frame, but it is in very good condition overall.

Size: 36 x 32.5 cm (including frame)

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Garden by the Water

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A small yet very effective charming landscape painting that captures a quiet outdoor terrace set against the gentle shimmer of a lakeside horizon, executed in oil onto board and dated 1981.

At the centre, a white table and chairs sit bathed in warm afternoon light, their forms softened and abstracted by expressive painterly strokes. Surrounding them, lush trees and shrubs frame the scene, creating a sense of intimate seclusion with just a glimpse of the expansive water beyond.

The composition blends representational elements with looser, gestural abstraction. The palette is harmonious and atmospheric – cool blues and greys of the sky and water contrast beautifully with the earthy greens and muted browns of the foliage and ground. Thick impasto brushstrokes bring exceptional texture and movement to the surface, particularly in the foliage where the paint is applied in layered, energetic swirls. The terrace furniture is rendered with creamy whites and pale yellows, catching the light and adding a striking focal point within the natural setting.

Overall, this is a wonderfully evocative piece: capturing the tranquillity of a sunlit moment outdoors, conveyed through confident colour work and richly tactile brushwork.

This oil on board is presented in a complementary white painted wood frame. Both the painting and frame are in excellent vintage condition.

Size: 28.5 x 33 cm (including frame)

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Seaside Bench

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A small yet very striking mid-century modern figurative landscape oil painting by Swedish artist Eric Elfvén (1921–2008), whose works have been exhibited in public collections including the Moderna Museet in Stockholm, Jönköping Museum, Borås Art Museum, and the Victoria and Albert Museum in London.

The composition depicts a couple seated side by side on a bench overlooking a coastal landscape. Positioned in the foreground, the two figures sit quietly together, their bodies angled slightly toward the open horizon where the sea stretches out beneath a pale blue sky. Behind them, rolling green hills and foliage frame the scene, while sandy brown paths and coastal terrain lead the eye toward the calm water in the distance. The composition captures a quiet moment of companionship and reflection within a tranquil seaside setting.

Rendered in an expressive style, the figures are simplified and loosely defined, with minimal facial detail. Their posture and colour carry the emotional tone of the scene rather than strict realism. The landscape itself is composed of bold, abstracted forms – rounded foliage, blocks of hillside colour, and horizontal bands of sea and sky – creating a balanced yet spontaneous composition.

The palette is rich yet harmonious. Deep forest greens shape the surrounding landscape, contrasted by warm sand of the coastal ground. The sea appears in calm bands of muted blue beneath a soft, open sky. The seated figures provide visual contrast: one dressed in a light, almost luminous light blue garment, the other in deeper navy and teal tones that subtly echo the colours of the ocean behind them.

Brushstrokes are broad and confident, applied with visible painterly energy. Thick, expressive strokes define the foliage and figures, while flatter passages of colour describe the sea and sky, creating a pleasing interplay between texture and calm space. The slightly rough, gestural application gives the painting vitality and movement.

This oil on canvas is housed in a complementary slim gilt frame. Both the painting and frame are in excellent vintage condition.

Size: 27 x 35 cm (including frame)

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Street After Rain

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An expressive and atmospheric mid-century modernist street scene composition that captures a moment just after rainfall, executed in oil onto board.

Three figures move through the softened and glistening pathway. Modest cottages with dark, pitched roofs line the street, and a tall chimney rises centrally, anchoring the composition. The reflections in the wet ground lend a sense of stillness and introspection, as if time has slowed in the hush following rain.

Executed in a loose, expressive style, the painting embraces painterly spontaneity over fine detail. The figures are rendered with minimal definition, almost silhouetted. The composition is built through gestural marks and layered textures, with visible brushstrokes adding movement and atmosphere throughout.

The colour palette is beautifully muted yet warm – earthy ochres, soft greys, and creamy whites dominate, punctuated by deeper browns and charcoals. Subtle hints of pale green and blush tones emerge within the reflections, enriching the surface with quiet complexity. The brushwork is confident, and with textured areas contrasting against thinner, more fluid passages, particularly in the reflective ground where strokes blend and dissolve into one another.

This oil on board is housed a well-suited painted wood frame that has an inner cream border. The painting is in excellent vintage condition, and the frame has some scuffs present.

Size: 56.5 x 47 cm (including frame)

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The Matador’s Moment

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A striking mid-century figurative painting that captures a matador poised mid-stance, exuding quiet confidence and theatrical presence, and executed in oil onto board and dated 1957.

The figure stands firmly with hands on hips, one leg slightly forward, as if caught in a moment between movement and stillness. The iconic red muleta drapes boldly to one side, immediately anchoring the composition and evoking the drama of the bullring. The background is minimal and abstracted, allowing the viewer’s attention to remain entirely on the commanding silhouette and gesture of the subject.

Executed in an expressive style, the figure is rendered with abstraction and reduction rather than fine detail. The anatomy is simplified into angular, geometric forms, lending the composition a sculptural quality. There is a strong emphasis on form, posture, and mood over realism.

The palette is warm and earthy, dominated by browns and burnt oranges. These tones are contrasted with deep blacks and punctuated by flashes of vivid red in the cape, which serves as the focal point. Highlights of yellow and white are applied sparingly but effectively, creating a sense of light catching on the costume and adding depth to the otherwise flattened space. The background’s muted light shade further enhances the intensity of the foreground colours.

The brushwork is energetic and textural, with visible, layered strokes that add movement and vitality to the piece. Dry-brush techniques and scraped applications create a sense of abrasion and depth, particularly across the matador’s jacket where flecks of yellow and white suggest embroidery and light reflection. The paint appears deliberately worked and reworked, giving the surface a tactile, almost weathered quality that enhances its expressive character.

This oil on board is housed in a gilt frame which features gently stepped mouldings that create depth without overwhelming the artwork. Both the painting and frame are in excellent vintage condition.

Size: 40.5 x 22 cm (including frame)

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Balloons in the Park

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An enchanting mid-century modern painting that captures a lively moment in a city park, centred around a figure holding a magnificent cluster of colourful balloons, executed in oil onto canvas.

Several figures gather along the pathway beneath tall trees, creating a gentle sense of movement and everyday life within the urban setting. A warm-toned brick building rises in the background, grounding the scene in a quiet city square.

The composition is dominated by the striking bouquet of balloons at the centre, painted in lively tones of red, coral, orange, yellow, and soft pink. These bright colours stand in beautiful contrast to the deeper greens of the surrounding foliage and the earthy browns and greys of the park landscape.

The painting features thick impasto and expressive brushwork. The foliage is built with bold textured strokes, while the balloons are formed from rounded dabs of paint that give them a lively, almost sculptural presence. The figures are rendered loosely, allowing the colour and atmosphere of the scene to take focus.

The result is a warm and nostalgic composition that celebrates a simple moment of joy where children and passers-by are drawn to a burst of colour in the heart of the park.

This oil on canvas is housed in a complementary wooden frame finished in a deep forest green. Both the painting and frame are in excellent vintage condition.

Size: 37.5 x 32.5 cm (including frame)

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Cubist Picnic

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A striking painting that presents a lively outdoor dining scene interpreted through a playful Cubist lens, executed in oil onto canvas and dated 1986.

Fragmented figures and objects – plates, cutlery, food, and bottles -are reassembled into a bold, geometric composition. Faces, limbs, and tableware overlap in dynamic angles, giving the impression of multiple perspectives unfolding simultaneously.

The palette is vibrant and saturated. Sharp contrasts of colour planes create rhythm and movement across the canvas, while the artist uses flat, angular brushstrokes to emphasise form over realism. Details like a patterned dish of food, a bottle of salt, and stylised trees in the background contribute to the sense of narrative within abstraction.

Executed in a flattened, semi-abstract style characteristic of Cubist and post-Cubist traditions, the work balances playful energy with structural harmony.

This oil on canvas is housed in a complementary gilt frame. The painting has a mark on its right side but this does not affect its overall attractiveness, and the frame has some small scuffs present.

Size: 71 x 64.5 cm (including frame)

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Figure by the Window

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An intimate mid-century figurative painting that captures a solitary figure absorbed in a quiet, domestic task, executed in oil onto canvas.

Positioned near a window, the figure leans forward with gentle concentration, their form partially silhouetted against a softly lit interior. The scene feels private and unguarded – a fleeting moment of everyday life observed without interruption.

Painted in a distinctly mid-century modern style, the composition balances figuration with loose abstraction. Architectural elements – the window frame, wall planes, and floor – are suggested rather than defined, creating a sense of space through colour blocks and shifting perspectives rather than strict linear depth.

The palette is restrained yet expressive, built from muted greens, soft yellows, warm creams, and earthy reds, with cooler blue-green tones anchoring the shadows. These colours subtly echo one another across the canvas, lending the work a harmonious, contemplative mood.

Brushstrokes are confident and textured, applied in short, directional strokes that remain clearly visible throughout. The paint handling prioritises movement and atmosphere over fine detail, allowing the figure to emerge organically from the surrounding space. This tactile surface and expressive restraint are hallmarks of mid-century figurative painting, where emotion and form are conveyed through colour, rhythm, and gesture rather than precision.

A quietly powerful work, this painting invites prolonged looking, revealing beauty in stillness, routine, and the poetry of ordinary moments.

This oil on canvas is is housed in a complementary wide-profiled gilt frame. The painting is in excellent vintage condition, and the frame has some scuffs that is consistent with age.

Size: 71.5 x 67 cm (including frame)

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The Meeting

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A large and evocative mid-century figurative composition that depicts a group of seated figures gathered around a long white table, executed in oil onto canvas.

The figures’ forms have been rendered in simplified, almost sculptural blocks of colour. The figures, distinguished by subtle variations in hair colour, posture, and attire are shown in quiet communion, while a standing figure at the head of the table adds a sense of hierarchy or occasion.

The artist has adopted a distinctly modernist approach: the scene is pared back to its essential geometry, the narrative implied rather than explicit. The palette is warm yet restrained, with browns, blacks, and muted greens dominating against a rich golden background that imbues the work with both warmth and gravitas. The surface bears visible, expressive brushstrokes, creating a tactile sense of movement and texture.

The overall effect is one of quiet introspection: a timeless study of human gathering, presence, and form.

This oil on canvases is housed in very well suited wood and gilt frame.

Size: cm (including frame)

Free domestic (UK) shipping. As this artwork is very large, it is unlikely that we will be able to ship it internationally. If you are very interested and are located outside of the UK, please contact us and we will see what we can do.

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Ceremony of Colour

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A striking mid-century abstract figurative painting that depicts a rhythmic procession of five women walking across an open, sun-washed landscape, painted in oil onto canvas by the established Swedish female artist Brita Hansson (1918-1979).

Each figure balances a vessel upon her head, their elongated forms moving in quiet unison against a soft expanse of sky and sand. Though simplified and abstracted, the figures retain a powerful presence.

Rendered in a distinctly modernist style, the composition balances figuration with abstraction. The bodies are constructed from bold, angular planes of colour rather than detailed anatomy, creating a dynamic interplay between structure and spontaneity. The negative space of pale blue sky and creamy earth provides a serene backdrop that allows the vibrant figures to command attention.

The palette is rich and saturated, featuring vivid oranges, fiery reds, cobalt blues, emerald greens, and deep purples. These colours are layered and juxtaposed in expressive blocks, giving each figure a unique visual rhythm while maintaining overall harmony. The contrast between the warm garments and the cool sky enhances the painting’s luminosity and depth.

Brushwork is energetic and confident. Broad, gestural strokes define the drapery and movement of fabric, while thicker applications of paint create texture and dimension across the figures’ garments. The artist has allowed edges to remain loose and painterly, with visible layering and occasional scumbling that adds vitality to the surface. The simplified faces and silhouetted profiles further emphasise form, colour, and movement over detail.

Overall, the painting embodies the bold spirit of mid-century abstraction, celebrating colour, gesture, and human form in a composition that feels expressive.

This oil on canvas is housed in a complementary champagne wood frame. Both the painting and frame are in excellent vintage condition.

Size: 52 x 79 cm (including frame)

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Figures by the Shore

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A mid-century figurative painting depicts a group of figures walking side by side through a quiet coastal village, executed in oil onto canvas.

The suggestion of the sea can be seen in the background, framed by simple geometric rooftops and houses rendered in muted tones. The figures appear almost sculpted from the paint itself, evoking a sense of companionship.

Executed in an expressive modernist style, the artist has used broad brushstrokes and thick impasto to build texture and depth. The palette is dominated by cool greys, muted blues, soft creams, and earthy neutrals, creating a subdued yet harmonious composition. The simplified forms and blurred facial features lend the work an introspective and contemplative atmosphere, placing emphasis on mood and structure over detail.

This oil on canvas is housed in a complementary wood floater frame. The painting is in excellent vintage condition, and the frame has a small mark at its top right corner but this does not detract from its overall attractiveness.

Size: 41.5 x 49.5 cm (including frame)

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Folk Musicians

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A lively 20th century figurative painting that depicts a spirited gathering of musicians arranged in a tiered composition, executed in oil onto canvas and dated 1969.

Each figure absorbed in the act of playing: violins are lifted mid-bow, a guitarist anchors the right side, and smaller figures stand poised with wind instruments, creating the sense of a communal folk performance. The central foreground figure, hands planted confidently on hips and dressed in a patterned skirt and vest, acts as both visual anchor and quiet conductor of the scene.

Simplified, elongated forms with minimal facial detail lend the work a universal, almost archetypal quality. The figures are stylised rather than portrait-like, with flattened planes and a compressed sense of space that brings the entire ensemble forward toward the viewer. There is a naïve-modernist charm in the proportions and arrangement, yet the composition is carefully balanced, with vertical instrument necks and angled bows creating rhythm across the canvas.

The colour palette is warm and earthy, grounded in greens and muted browns, punctuated by vibrant notes of mustard yellow, teal blue, red and burnt orange. These contrasting garments give each musician individuality while harmonising within the overall composition.

Brushstrokes are confident and expressive. Paint is applied in visible, textured strokes – particularly in the clothing and instruments – adding movement and energy to the scene. The background is softly blended but remains painterly, allowing the figures to stand forward in bold, gestural definition. The overall effect is celebratory and rhythmic, capturing not just a group of musicians, but the collective spirit of shared music-making.

This oil on canvas is housed in a complementary hessian lined wood frame. The painting is in excellent vintage condition, and the frame has some scuffs.

Size: 52 x 40 cm (including frame)

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The Act of Seeing

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An expressive mid-century figurative portrait that captures a quiet, introspective moment as a woman stands in profile, gently parting a patterned curtain, executed in oil onto canvas and dated 1948.

Her posture is poised yet intimate, suggesting both observation and hesitation – as though she stands between interior life and the world beyond. A window behind her opens onto a soft, distant landscape, reinforcing a sense of contemplation and transition.

Rendered in an expressive, painterly style, the work embraces loose, gestural brushwork that prioritises emotion over precise realism. The figure is constructed through layered strokes of cool blues, muted greys, and soft creams, with touches of rose and pale green animating the contours of her face and clothing. The curtain introduces rhythmic vertical zigzags and organic shapes in earthy reds, blues, and blacks, creating a striking contrast against the cooler tones of the interior. This interplay of colour and pattern brings both movement and structural tension to the composition.

The artist’s brushstrokes are confident and spontaneous, with visible, energetic marks that give the surface vitality. Areas of thinner, translucent paint sit alongside thicker, more textured passages, allowing the underlayers to breathe through and enhancing the sense of immediacy. The figure itself is softly modelled, with edges dissolving into the surrounding space, reinforcing the emotional atmosphere rather than strict form.

This oil on board is is housed in a complementary ridged gilt frame. Both the painting and frame are in excellent vintage condition.

Size: 75.7 x 64.5 cm (including frame)

Free domestic (UK) shipping. As this artwork is very large, it is unlikely that we will be able to ship it internationally. If you are very interested and are located outside of the UK, please contact us and we will see what we can do.

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Abstract Trio

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A mid-century abstract figurative painting that captures a serene and introspective atmosphere, depicting three abstract human forms in a seated arrangement, executed in oil onto board.

The figures, rendered in earthy tones of brown, beige, and muted grey, appear to be engaged in a quiet, contemplative moment. The artist has used a combination of broad, gestural brushstrokes and textured layering, which gives the figures a rugged, almost sculptural presence within the composition.

The background is a juxtaposition of muted green and off-white blocks of colour, suggesting an interior space or an abstracted environment. The deliberate abstraction of the figures, reduced to essential forms and shapes, allows for multiple interpretations, emphasising mood and presence over detailed representation.

The painting’s style reflects the mid-century modernist movement, characterised by a harmonious blend of abstraction and figuration. The artist’s use of subdued, natural colours evokes a soothing, meditative feeling, while the brushwork conveys a sense of spontaneity and raw emotion.

This oil on board is housed in a very well-suited wood frame with an inner gilt and linen border. Both the painting and frame are in excellent vintage condition.

Size: 52.5 x 61.5 cm (including frame)

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Figure in Blue

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A striking mid-century modernist abstract figurative painting that presents a seated figure rendered in deep, expressive shades of blue and green, executed in acrylic onto card.

The figure, loosely defined with minimal facial features, appears to lean against a structure – possibly a chair or a window ledge – exuding a contemplative or introspective mood.

The artist has used a bold and gestural approach, characteristic of mid-century abstraction, with broad, sweeping brushstrokes that create movement and depth. The composition is dominated by a cool colour palette of blues, teals, and emerald greens, punctuated by lighter areas that suggest illumination.

The contrast between dark, shadowy areas and lighter highlights enhances the sense of atmosphere, while the figure’s simplified form retains an element of mystery and ambiguity.

This acrylic on card is framed behind glass, and is presented within a card mount. Both painting and frame are in excellent vintage condition.

Size: 48.5 x 42.5cm (including frame)

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Figure in the Dark

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An emotive and expressive semi-abstract figurative portrait, executed in oil onto canvas and dated 1975.

The composition presents a seated figure, rendered with expressive and gestural brushstrokes. The subject is defined by bold, dark contours and angular forms, suggesting a contemplative or melancholic presence. The face is minimally detailed yet evocative, with an emphasis on structure rather than realism.

The composition is dominated by a deep, earthy palette of black, charcoal grey, and muted browns, with subtle hints of white, yellow, and red breaking through. The background is layered and textured, adding to the depth and atmosphere of the piece. The brushwork is raw and dynamic, with areas of impasto juxtaposed against more transparent washes of paint, reinforcing the work’s emotional intensity and expressive quality.

This oil on canvas is housed in a complementary slim silver painted wood frame. The painting is in very good vintage condition. The frame has some scuffing but this is in keeping with its vintage style, and overall it is in very good condition.

Size: 49 x 40 cm (including frame)

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Village Pathway

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A striking mid-century modernist painting that captures a female figure walking along a village pathway, gracefully balancing a vessel on her head, executed in oil onto board.

The woman, dressed in a flowing blue skirt and dark top, is set against a backdrop of geometric, almost abstracted row of houses that recede rhythmically into the distance.

Modernist in its ethos, the artist has reduced the scene into bold, flattened forms and simplified shapes. There’s a more structured feel in the angular rooftops and the faceted treatment of architecture and landscape, while the figure maintains a sense of movement and gesture.

The colour palette is muted, with gentle contrasts between warm and cool tones. The bright blue of the skirt stands out as a focal point, anchoring the viewer’s eye.

The paint is applied with deliberate, confident strokes – thick and flat in some areas, with visible texture. The brushwork emphasises shape and form over fine detail, enhancing the painting’s graphic, almost mosaic-like quality.

This oil on board is housed in a complementary wood frame with an inner cream border. The painting is in excellent vintage condition, and the frame has very minor scuffs.

Size: 71 x 49.5 cm (including frame)

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Garden Gathering

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A lively mid-century modernist oil painting that presents a group of figures gathered in a semi-abstract outdoor scene, by Swedish artist Eric Elfvén (1921–2008), whose works have been exhibited in public collections including the Moderna Museet in Stockholm, Jönköping Museum, Borås Art Museum, and the Victoria and Albert Museum in London.

The arrangement suggests a social gathering – figures standing and seated together, framed by architecture on one side and lush garden foliage on the other.

Executed in a modernist style, the piece blends figuration with abstraction. Strongly simplified forms and flattened planes dominate, with outlines and shadow blocks creating sculptural presence. The absence of facial detail recalls both cubist reduction and expressionist distortion, allowing colour and rhythm to take precedence over narrative realism.

The palette is bold yet harmonious, with deep navy and forest greens offset by vibrant pinks, oranges, and sky blues. Light falls diagonally across the canvas, producing rich contrasts between shadowed areas and illuminated patches. The brushstrokes are broad, gestural, and confident, with layered pigment applied in sweeping movements that build both depth and dynamism.

This oil on board is presented in a complementary gilt frame. The painting is in excellent vintage condition. The frame has some minor scuffing.

Size: 36.5 x 40.5 cm (including frame)

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Quiet Readers

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A serene and beautifully distilled mid-century modernist figurative painting, executed in oil onto board by the established Swedish artist Ingvar Elén (1915–1973), whose artworks have represented in public collections including the the Moderna Museet in Stockholm, the National Museum in Sweden, and the Sörmlands Museum.

This composition features three seated figures, their forms reduced to soft geometric shapes and gentle interlocking silhouettes. Arranged in a subtle diagonal rhythm, the trio appears absorbed in quiet, individual focus: one reading, the others seated nearby – capturing a moment of shared stillness without explicit interaction.

The artist has relied on flattened planes of colour and carefully balanced tones to define each figure: warm peach, deep teal, olive green, charcoal grey, ochre, and soft clay-like browns. The palette is harmonious and understated, allowing the shapes and spatial arrangement to take centre stage. Their shadows and clothing become abstract colour blocks, lending the work a sculptural, almost collage-like quality.

Brushwork is smooth, matte, and subtly textured, with edges that are softened rather than sharply drawn. This creates a calm, meditative surface where each figure is distinct yet integrated into the overall rhythm of the composition.

This oil on canvas is housed in a complementary slim gilt frame. The painting is in good vintage condition overall: there is some craquelure visible on the central figure’s arm, however, the paint layer remains stable, and this does not detract from the overall presentation of the work.

Size: 74.5 x 88 cm (including frame)

Free domestic (UK) shipping. As this artwork is very large, it is unlikely that we will be able to ship it internationally. If you are very interested and are located outside of the UK, please contact us and we will see what we can do.

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Maternal Love

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An outstanding mid-century modernist abstract figurative composition, painted in oil onto board by 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 composition depicts a female figure, presumably a mother, tenderly holding her child. Rendered in bold, abstracted forms, the artist has distilled the essence of human connection into simplified, interlocking shapes and planes of colour. The absence of defined facial features allows emotion to arise from posture, proportion, and palette rather than expression, giving the scene both universality and intimacy.

Executed in a modernist idiom influenced by abstraction, the work blends figurative sensitivity with geometric reduction. The artist has employed thick, confident brushstrokes and layered impasto to create texture and rhythm across the surface. Areas of colour overlap subtly, suggesting depth and volume while maintaining a flattened, almost collage-like arrangement.

A harmonious palette of teal, browns, forest green, ivory, deep burgundy, and blue anchors the composition. The dark halo of the mother’s hair contrasts with the child’s pale, luminous tones, drawing the viewer’s focus to their gentle bond. The background of layered turquoise blues adds calm and balance to the composition, enhancing its contemplative quality.

This oil on board is presented in a complementary gilt frame. The painting is in excellent vintage condition, and the frame has some scuffs and areas of paint loss as shown.

Size: 72 x 57.5 cm (including frame)

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Astrid

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A brilliantly executed and emotive mid-century modernist style figurative composition that presents a contemplative nude figure, executed in oil onto canvas and dated 1960.

The figure, constructed through broad angular planes and softened edges, is seated in a relaxed pose, one leg bent and the torso subtly twisted – creating a gentle rhythm that guides the viewer’s gaze through the composition.

Executed in a restrained yet warm palette of ochre, sienna, and earthy umber, the body is set against a backdrop of powder blue, grey, and dusty taupe. This juxtaposition of warm and cool tones imbues the painting with both emotional tension and visual calm.

The brushwork is expressive but controlled, with textured applications of paint that oscillate between opaque coverage and dry-brush translucency, revealing the wood grain beneath. There’s a tactile quality to the strokes – layered, scraped, and directional – that accentuates the structural anatomy of the figure while maintaining abstraction.

This oil on canvas is housed in a complementary slim wood frame. The painting’s surface exhibits areas of craquelure, consistent with age. While the paint layer remains stable across most of the canvas, there is some instability noted in the central section beneath the figure’s chest. The frame is in good vintage condition.

Size: 82.5 x 68.5 cm (including frame)

Free domestic (UK) shipping. As this artwork is very large, it is unlikely that we will be able to ship it internationally. If you are very interested and are located outside of the UK, please contact us and we will see what we can do.

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Figure in a Carriage

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An evocative semi-abstract mid-century modernist figurative painting executed in oil onto canvas by Swedish artist Eric Elfvén (1921–2008), whose works have been exhibited in public collections including the Moderna Museet in Stockholm, Jönköping Museum, Borås Art Museum, and the Victoria and Albert Museum in London.

The composition captures the fleeting impression of a lone passenger illuminated by an unseen light source- perhaps the outside world glimpsed through a carriage window.

The painting is semi-abstract, with blocks of textured pigment forming the suggestion of a figure framed by architectural shapes that recall the interior of a carriage.

The palette is a masterful interplay of deep browns, blackened greens, and oxblood reds, punctuated by soft corals, pale peach, and a sliver of white that slices the darkness like a beam of light. Heavy impasto brushwork adds physical depth, while the confident horizontal and vertical strokes convey the structure of motion and confinement.

There’s a poetic stillness to the work – an intimate moment caught in transit, abstracted through modernist sensibility yet rich in narrative potential.

This oil on canvas is housed in a complementary gilt frame. Both the painting and frame are in excellent vintage condition.

Size: 36.5 x 52.5 cm (including frame)

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The Net Menders

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An evocative mid-century modernist landscape composition with figures, executed in oil onto canvas.

The painting captures a quiet scene where two figures are engaged in the timeless ritual of mending nets. Rendered in broad, confident brushstrokes, the composition emphasises form and rhythm over detail, evoking a sense of labor and community grounded in place.

The artist employs a muted yet expressive palette: yellows and orange dominate the foreground, while greys, greens and blues define the sky and background. A bold block of red – a hut—anchors the composition to the right, adding architectural structure to the looser figurative forms. The figures themselves are stylised, almost abstract, with simplified forms, allowing posture and gesture to tell the story.

Expressive and directional brushwork lend energy to the piece, particularly in the sweeping green lines of the fishing net, which leads the viewer’s eye diagonally across the scene. The cool and vast expanse of sky, provides balance and contrast to the dense activity in the lower half of the painting.

This oil on canvas is housed in a complementary wood frame. Both the painting and frame are in excellent vintage condition.

Size: 38 x 48 cm (including frame)

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The Distance Between Us

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A contemplative modernist figurative painting that depicts a solitary figure standing before a vast expanse of open land, executed in oil onto canvas and dated 1975.

The composition is strikingly divided into two registers: the upper portion capturing a serene vista of green fields and a distant tree line beneath a pale, open sky, and the lower section marked by a bold geometric band in black with red and orange vertical stripes.

Rendered in restrained tones of green and earthy brown, the work balances natural quietude with structural rhythm. The figure, outlined with simplicity and minimal detail and lightly sketched features, appears introspective, heightening the emotional resonance of the scene.

Executed with flat planes of colour, the brushstrokes are gentle yet deliberate, with thinly applied layers that allow the canvas texture to breathe through. The palette is subdued yet harmonious, evoking a faded photograph or memory : an image caught between presence and absence, realism and abstraction.

This oil on canvas is presented in a silver frame. The painting is in excellent vintage condition. The frame displays some signs of age with marks and scuffs.

Size: 66.5 x 80.5 cm (including frame)

Free domestic (UK) shipping. As this artwork is very large, it is unlikely that we will be able to ship it internationally. If you are very interested and are located outside of the UK, please contact us and we will see what we can do.

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The Seamstress

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A tender and expressive mid-century figurative scene, painted in oil onto canvas.

The painting depicts a woman seated on a wooden chair, bent gently over her sewing, with a classic black sewing machine resting on a sturdy wooden table before her. Her posture conveys concentration and routine – an everyday ritual rendered with warmth and familiarity.

The style is expressive and loose. Forms are suggested rather than defined, allowing the viewer’s eye to fill in the narrative. Soft, hazy outlines and impressionistic strokes give the composition a spontaneous, lived-in quality.

The colour palette is warm and muted: blush pinks in the woman’s blouse, soft greys and taupes in her skirt, browns and light neutrals in the surrounding interior. Hints of red in her shoes and subtle greens and yellows in the background bring gentle vibrancy to the scene.

Brushstrokes are confident and gestural – broad sweeps for the furniture, short textured strokes for fabric and hair, and looser scumbles to build the diffused light of the room. Together, they create a beautifully atmospheric study of everyday work, captured with grace and sensitivity.

This oil on canvas is housed in a beautiful wood frame. Both the painting and frame are in excellent vintage condition.

Size: 41.5 x 33 cm (including frame)

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