The painting comes with complete provenance with ownership history and lists of exhibitions in Finland, USA, and Canada. Leena Ahtola-Moorhouse, world renowned authority on Schjerfbeck and former chief curator at Ateneum Art Museum in Helsinki, lyrically talks about a painting she was able to read about in archives and exhibition catalogues, but which she has only now recently seen for herself:

- “It’s been difficult to place this colourful and expressive painting by Helene Schjerfbeck in the right period. The name of the painting has also varied in different sources. "

She dates the painting to Helene Schjerfbeck's most significant period 1928-1930. It portrays Sigrid Nyberg, a former landlady from Ekenäs, whose shawl aroused Schjerfbeck's interest. It is unusual for modern works of this dignity to first play such a central role in an artist's catalogue and then fall into such a long Sleeping Beauty sleep.

Art specialist Helena Laakso at Stockholms Auktionsverk declares:

-" Almost all works of Schjerfbeck has, at one point or another, shown up at the international art auction scene. So seeing this oil painting from one of her most productive years is extremely rare and somthing of a sensation."

Leena Ahtola-Moorhouse again:

- "Regarding the texture The Lace Shawl belongs to Schjerfbeck's well-known master class, smooth scratch surfaces get energy from wide brushstrokes directly on the surface. The transparent colours contrast with dark impenetrable pigment fields. /… / Who else would have dared to paint a violent green colour on a vertical neck to increase the tension in the work and then put the pieces together in the composition?”

 “The Lace Shawl" will be sold at Stockholms Auktionsverk Helsinki’s Spring Sale Auction on May 22^nd. 

Viewing from May 17^th in Helsiniki. 

Estimate €400,000-500,000.