See my review on substack too! Museum Moderne : Pink Sail exhibition ( Swedish modernism) an overlooked genius : Ingrid Hjerten Visit the Moderne museet in Stockholm currently to see the Swedish Modernist exhibition called Pink Sails. It’s a short walk from the National Museum, ( close to Kungsträdgården metro). Don’t miss the show at the National on there currently by Japanese designer Minagawa or the thought provoking Ai WeiWei sculpture free to the public near the gallery overlooking the water in front of the National Museum.. Walk over a delightful bridge to this island of Skeppsholmen. Head straight for the rooms of Swedish Modernists exhibition ( entitled Pink Sails) and in the initial side room there are the two noteworthy Ingrid Hjerten paintings. The striking large one : in her studio… shows the details of three figures (her being overlooked by her husband, talking to another man ) and the striking woman in the foreground. Is this her alter ego as the gallery blurb suggests or is it simply one of her husband’s lovers glaring menacingly out at you. This is a striking image - and perhaps sums up the artist’s difficult life in which she was overlooked in her time by her less talented ( my view) husband Isaac Grunewald. Sadly by the time she gained some fame in the 1930s she was in a mental asylum suffering from schizophrenia. Yes, this condition can strike later in life. It is sometimes preceded by some unusual beliefs and often an odd eccentric personality but many will have led reasonably normal lives before this condition strikes. So due to good early personality development and life experiences the prognosis can be better. Poor Ingrid, however, suffered a terrible fate and died from the complications of a lobotomy in 1945. Interestingly, I learnt at the Nobel Museum that the inventor of the lobotomy ( António Egas Moniz) received a prize for this treatment. The treatment is extremely rarely used now except for the most refractory psychiatric disorders (with much more refined neurosurgery used today to treat refractory conditions). The guide at the Nobel museum concluded it was a prize incorrectly bestowed (this is perhaps debatable).

photo 1 of 2 I have strayed in my thoughts and the second painting by Ingrid is also remarkable but quieter. She kept it for herself until her death, the curator blurb suggests, as it was so personal . Here she lies nude with her legs semi crossed and musing, near her bed (perhaps wondering about her unfaithful husband) .

Photo 2 of 2 There are other gems in the exhibition, not to be missed and a formidable set of Picasso sculpture in the garden near the cafe ( easily missed) unless you partake in the delicious but over priced food at the cafe ( sandwich and coffee cost more than the entrance fee to the whole gallery). Enjoy the day…