The Fish Merchant

An original mid-century oil painting by Swedish artist Svän Grandin, depicting a group of figures gathered around a fish merchant as he handles the day's catch. Broad, simplified forms and a restrained palette of charcoal gray, brick red, ochre and blue give the scene a distinctly Scandinavian modernist quality.

The fish, figures and suggestion of rigging or working structures beyond create the feeling of a busy harbor-side exchange. Signed lower right and sourced in Sweden.

About the Artist

Svän Grandin (1906–1982) was a Swedish painter born in Borås. His route into the arts was an unusual one: before devoting himself to painting, Grandin worked as both a textile worker and sailor. Largely self-taught, he further developed his work through periods of independent study in Paris in 1938–39, with another study trip documented in 1946. Konstfeber

Grandin made his public debut in Borås in 1936 and went on to exhibit in Stockholm and Gothenburg as well as his native Borås. His known body of work encompasses landscapes, still lifes and, importantly for this painting, figurative compositions. Color became central to his practice: his initially heavier palette developed toward clearer blues, greens, yellows and reds before moving toward more subdued gray-blue tones later in his career. Konstfeber

Grandin is represented in the collection of Borås Konstmuseum. Notably, the museum acquired four additional works by Grandin in 2023 through a donation from his relatives; the City of Borås stated that the acquisitions filled a gap in the collection and allowed his artistic career to be represented in a more multifaceted way. Borås

Details

✓ Original oil painting on canvas
✓ Svän Grandin (Swedish, 1906–1982)
✓ Signed lower right
✓ Mid-20th century
✓ Figurative harbor scene
✓ Sourced in Sweden
✓ Presented in a vintage wood frame with light-toned liner
✓ Ready to hang

Measurements

27.2 × 31.1 inches framed
(69 × 79 cm)

Condition

Good vintage condition with minor age-related wear. The auction house noted minor wear. The vintage frame also shows wear consistent with age. Please review photographs closely as they form part of the condition description.

Why We Chose It

The subject immediately drew us in—the fish laid out before the merchant, the surrounding figures and the wonderful flash of brick red against Grandin's muted grays. We especially loved how he reduced an everyday working scene into broad shapes and blocks of color.

Shipping

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