I never got to see the famed Marabou Collection of sculpture
en situ during my years at
Christie’s, but fortunately for a few collectors, the collection was put up for
sale and offered by Stockholm’s Bukowski's auction house last month.
Marabou is Sweden’s chocolatier
and is now part of Kraft Foods who acquired it and sold the collection put
together by the company’s founders, the Thone-Holst family. The family
were great industrialists, and perhaps even greater art lovers and philanthropists.
The first generation commissioned 12 large paintings by Edward Munch – yes, the
artist behind The Scream - to decorate their employee canteens, and the next
generation bought incredible sculpture to beautify the offices of the
company. Talk about ideal bosses!!!
If I had my pick, these would have entered MY collection!
Topping my picks would be Jean Arp’s (1887-1966) work "Amphore
de Muse". No words do justice to its beauty and extraordinary sensual
lines. While not exactly figural, it’s
more an abstract of the human form. The curves contrasting with the flat
sharp edges, coupled with varying shades of bronze and gold patina, draw you
into the piece as you view it from various angles. Who couldn't help but
love their work if this greeted them each morning?
I cannot stop thinking about the big brown eyes of this
charming owl sculpture, "Hibou", by Francois Pompon (1855-1933).
Its patina is absolutely wonderful. It
takes decades of running your hand over the object for that warm mellow glow to
develop. The sculpture still looks bold and modern today.
"Radar No 2" by Arnaldo Pomodoro (b. 1926) has the
exact opposite feeling of the first two sculptures – it’s hard and broken and
is more anxious than sensual although it remains unusually seductive.
Undoubtedly Italy's best-known modern sculptor, Pomodoro takes the simple
convex form and trashes the silence and serenity with jagged slashes across the
plain… in a way, he is to sculpture what Lucio Fontana is to painting!
Once upon a time companies felt drawn to buying art as both
inspiration and investment. An entire generation of workers grew up amongst
great works of art in their daily routine and for that they’re better people.
It’s my hope the torch is handed off to the next leaders of industry to inspire
artists and workers alike.
image credits: Bukowski’s, Sweden
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