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Lot Essay
THE MODEL FOR GIRL WITH BLUE RIBBON WAS A YOUNG SCHOOLGIRL CALLED FANNY WHO PASSED THE SCHJERFBECK APARTMENT DAILY ON HER WAY TO AND FROM SCHOOL.
HER BIOGRAPHER, H. AHTELA, DOCUMENTS THE SPECIFIC CIRCUMSTANCES SURROUNDING THE CREATION OF THIS WATERCOLOUR: 'SHE HAD BEEN THINKING OF THE LITTLE GIRL FANNY AS A MODEL A FEW YEARS BEFORE AND NOW DECIDES TO PAINT HER. THIS LITTLE CREATURE IS EXACTLY WHAT SHE WANTS TO PAINT, TO FEEL CLOSE TO FOR A FEW SHORT MOMENTS. SHE FEELS THAT ONLY WATERCOLOUR WILL DO JUSTICE TO THE FRAGILE GIRL. SHE PAINTS ANEW IN GREY AND BROWN, LETTING THE PAPER DECIDE THE COLOUR OF THE FACE, ONLY ADDING A THIN BLUE-GREY SHADOW AND SOME WHITE ON THE NOSE AND THE UPPER LIP, OCHRE IN THE TUFTS OF HAIR.
'HOWEVER, THE PAINTING SEEMS A BIT GLOOMY IN THIS WAY, AND HELENE APPLIES SOME DEEP GREEN PASTEL COLOUR WHICH SHE RUBS INTO THE BACKGROUND (NOTE THAT THERE IS AN UNCLEAR SIGNATURE 'HS' ABOVE THE SHOULDER TO THE LEFT, BENEATH THE GREEN PASTEL). THE PAINTING BECOMES 'FULLER' IN THIS WAY, WITH MORE DEPTH. SHE APPLIES GOUACHE AND IN ONE GO PAINTS THE WIDE-BRIMMED HAT IN BLACK, ADDING SOME BLUE TO THE DRESS BUT THAT DOES NOT WORK AND SHE WASHES IT AWAY. INSTEAD, SHE DRAWS A SHINING BLUE STRAP FROM THE SHOULDER DOWN THE CHEST - SOMETHING IN THE MODEL REQUIRES THIS BLUE.
'THE WORK TAKES MONTHS. WHEN SHE IS NOT PAINTING, SHE KEEPS IT TURNED AGAINST THE WALL, TURNING IT TO LOOK AT IT TIME AND TIME AGAIN IN ORDER TO SEE IT WITH FRESH EYES, TO SEE WHAT ELSE THE PICTURE REQUIRES, ADDING SOMETHING, CHANGING SOME DETAIL, RUBBING SOMEWHERE, WITH A LIGHT AND CAREFUL HAND. BUT WHAT AN EFFECT SUCH A SMALL RETOUCH CAN HAVE ON THE WHOLE!
'ALL HER WORK SERVES ONLY THIS ONE GOAL: TO RENDER A GLIMPSE OF WHAT SHE HAS READ IN THIS CHILD'S SOUL! THE INNER LIFE THAT IS VIBRATING BENEATH THE SURFACE ...'
AHTELA WRITES THAT GIRL WITH BLUE RIBBON WAS SOLD TO KAHLROTH WHERE IT WAS HANGING FOR YEARS WITHOUT ANYONE NOTICING IT. APPARENTLY REUTER LATER BOUGHT IT FROM KAHLROTH.
SCHJERFBECK OFTEN RETURNED TO HER MOST SUCCESSFUL THEMES AT LATER DATES. TWO OTHER VERSIONS OF THE PRESENT PICTURE ARE KNOWN, GIRL WITH BLUE RIBBON II (PRIVATE COLLECTION, PARIS), AND GIRL WITH BLUE RIBBON III, PAINTED MUCH LATER IN 1943 FOR THE ART DEALER GöSTA STENMAN WHO WAS ALSO THE OWNER OF LOT 38 IN THE PRESENT SALE.
HER BIOGRAPHER, H. AHTELA, DOCUMENTS THE SPECIFIC CIRCUMSTANCES SURROUNDING THE CREATION OF THIS WATERCOLOUR: 'SHE HAD BEEN THINKING OF THE LITTLE GIRL FANNY AS A MODEL A FEW YEARS BEFORE AND NOW DECIDES TO PAINT HER. THIS LITTLE CREATURE IS EXACTLY WHAT SHE WANTS TO PAINT, TO FEEL CLOSE TO FOR A FEW SHORT MOMENTS. SHE FEELS THAT ONLY WATERCOLOUR WILL DO JUSTICE TO THE FRAGILE GIRL. SHE PAINTS ANEW IN GREY AND BROWN, LETTING THE PAPER DECIDE THE COLOUR OF THE FACE, ONLY ADDING A THIN BLUE-GREY SHADOW AND SOME WHITE ON THE NOSE AND THE UPPER LIP, OCHRE IN THE TUFTS OF HAIR.
'HOWEVER, THE PAINTING SEEMS A BIT GLOOMY IN THIS WAY, AND HELENE APPLIES SOME DEEP GREEN PASTEL COLOUR WHICH SHE RUBS INTO THE BACKGROUND (NOTE THAT THERE IS AN UNCLEAR SIGNATURE 'HS' ABOVE THE SHOULDER TO THE LEFT, BENEATH THE GREEN PASTEL). THE PAINTING BECOMES 'FULLER' IN THIS WAY, WITH MORE DEPTH. SHE APPLIES GOUACHE AND IN ONE GO PAINTS THE WIDE-BRIMMED HAT IN BLACK, ADDING SOME BLUE TO THE DRESS BUT THAT DOES NOT WORK AND SHE WASHES IT AWAY. INSTEAD, SHE DRAWS A SHINING BLUE STRAP FROM THE SHOULDER DOWN THE CHEST - SOMETHING IN THE MODEL REQUIRES THIS BLUE.
'THE WORK TAKES MONTHS. WHEN SHE IS NOT PAINTING, SHE KEEPS IT TURNED AGAINST THE WALL, TURNING IT TO LOOK AT IT TIME AND TIME AGAIN IN ORDER TO SEE IT WITH FRESH EYES, TO SEE WHAT ELSE THE PICTURE REQUIRES, ADDING SOMETHING, CHANGING SOME DETAIL, RUBBING SOMEWHERE, WITH A LIGHT AND CAREFUL HAND. BUT WHAT AN EFFECT SUCH A SMALL RETOUCH CAN HAVE ON THE WHOLE!
'ALL HER WORK SERVES ONLY THIS ONE GOAL: TO RENDER A GLIMPSE OF WHAT SHE HAS READ IN THIS CHILD'S SOUL! THE INNER LIFE THAT IS VIBRATING BENEATH THE SURFACE ...'
AHTELA WRITES THAT GIRL WITH BLUE RIBBON WAS SOLD TO KAHLROTH WHERE IT WAS HANGING FOR YEARS WITHOUT ANYONE NOTICING IT. APPARENTLY REUTER LATER BOUGHT IT FROM KAHLROTH.
SCHJERFBECK OFTEN RETURNED TO HER MOST SUCCESSFUL THEMES AT LATER DATES. TWO OTHER VERSIONS OF THE PRESENT PICTURE ARE KNOWN, GIRL WITH BLUE RIBBON II (PRIVATE COLLECTION, PARIS), AND GIRL WITH BLUE RIBBON III, PAINTED MUCH LATER IN 1943 FOR THE ART DEALER GöSTA STENMAN WHO WAS ALSO THE OWNER OF LOT 38 IN THE PRESENT SALE.