Works by renowned artists such as Lotte Laserstein, Peder Severin Krøyer, and Pierre-Auguste Renoir were among the highlights at Bukowskis' Important Winter Sale, held on Thursday in Stockholm. The second day of the live auction saw remarkable final prices, including a new world record.
By 1912, John Bauer had reached the peak of his career. During this period, he created notable works such as the fresco Vill Vallareman, which adorned the fireplace in publisher Erik Åkerlund's villa in Stocksund, and the illustration Nej, sicken liten puttefnasker! ropade trollet. That same year, he completed one of his most celebrated and significant pieces – Sagoflickan (The Fairy Tale Girl).
For the 136 x 140 centimetre oil painting, Bauer drew inspiration from his wife, Ester, as well as from the idealised figures of the Italian Renaissance, particularly depictions of the Virgin Mary.
Bauer’s art was defined by a fascination with the mysticism of nature and folklore, rooted in his childhood spent in the forests of Småland. Following a trip to Italy in 1908–1909, he refined his style, blending Nordic and southern influences to give his fairytale world a more idealised form.
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The Fairy Tale Girl was exhibited at several international shows, including in Stockholm and San Francisco. When it was sold in 1918 at an exhibition in Stockholm, it received critical acclaim. Tragically, Bauer died in a boating accident that same year, and the work was later displayed in a memorial exhibition. Since then, The Story Girl has remained in private ownership.
On December 12, 2024, The Fairy Tale Girl was sold at Bukowskis for SEK 8.75 million (around $822,500). This remarkable sum marks a new auction record for the artist. The previous record was set in the summer of 2023, when the painting Ännu sitter Tuvstarr kvar och ser undrar ner i vattnet was sold at Uppsala Auktionskammare for SEK 6.75 million.
