London – A remarkable private collection of Scandinavian art formed by Norwegian collectors Iwona and Bjarne Rieber will be offered this October in London in the sale Northern Light: Important Works from the Bjarne & Iwona Rieber Collection, taking place on Tuesday 27 October at Bonhams New Bond Street.
Bringing together exceptional works across printmaking and painting, the collection reflects the Rieber's deeply personal engagement with the artistic heritage of Norway and the wider Nordic region. Carefully assembled over decades, it highlights masterworks by Edvard Munch alongside leading figures of Scandinavian art including Harald Sohlberg, Michael Ancher, and Nikolai Astrup.
Peter Rees, Head of Department for Bonhams Victorian and 19th Century European Art commented: "Collections of this calibre and coherence rarely come to market. The strength of the work by Sohlberg, alongside key examples by other leading Scandinavian artists, makes this a particularly compelling sale. Collectors will recognise both the quality and the rarity of what is being offered."
Carolin von Massenbach, Head of Department for Bonhams Prints & Multiples commented: "It is increasingly uncommon to encounter a group of Munch prints of this excellence to the market. The Rieber Collection brings together extraordinary impressions of some of the artist's most important subjects, many of which are highly coveted by collectors and institutions worldwide. This sale offers a rare chance to appreciate Munch's brilliance as a printmaker – his works revolutionised the traditions of printmaking with his unique and radical simplification of form and colour, way ahead of his time."
The Rieber Collection
Bjarne Rieber was a prominent Norwegian businessman and collector with a strong connection to Norway's cultural landscape. In 2006, he and his wife founded The Iwona and Bjarne Rieber Charitable Foundation (IBRAS) to support arts and culture, scientific research and humanitarian causes in Norway and internationally.
In Norway, the foundation supports the Bergen International Festival, KODE Museums, the Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra, alongside supporting scientific and humanitarian initiatives. Internationally, Bjarne and Iwona Rieber have been long-standing patrons of the Royal Ballet & Opera in London, especially through their generous support for the Youth Opera Company, the Paul Taylor Dance Company and the Lucerne Symphony Orchestra. The Rieber's philanthropy reflects a long-term commitment to strengthening institutions and investing in future generations.
Following Bjarne Rieber's passing, the collection is being offered by his widow, Iwona Rieber, presenting collectors with a rare opportunity to acquire works of exceptional quality and provenance from a collection shaped by deep cultural engagement.
The sale is led by a group of important works by Edvard Munch (1863–1944), whose innovative and emotionally charged printmaking revolutionised modern art.
Among the highlights are:
• Two Women on the Shore (1898, printed c.1917). Woodcut in colours.
Estimate: £500,000 – 700,000. A richly inked impression featuring Munch's iconic jigsaw technique and stencils, exemplifying his mastery of colour woodblock printmaking.
• Vampire II (1895–1902). Lithograph with colour woodcut.
Estimate: £200,000 – 300,000. One of Munch's most important and psychologically complex compositions which explores the themes of love, angst and death.
• On the Waves of Love (1896). Lithograph.
Estimate: £70,000 – 100,000. Printed in Berlin by M.S. Lassally, this ethereal work explores themes of intimacy and unity.
The sale also features many important works capturing the unique atmosphere and light of the Nordic landscape. Harald Sohlberg's (1869–1935) Fra Værvågen, aften, a luminous and evocative depiction of evening in coastal Norway, characteristic of Sohlberg's poetic vision, is estimated at £400,000 – 600,000. Erik Theodor Werenskiold's (1855–1936) Fra Tåtøy, Kragerø, is a sensitive rendering of the Norwegian coastline, estimated at £50,000 – 70,000. Also included in the collection are a number of works by Frits Thaulow (Norwegian, 1847-1906) including Alkejegeren (Rowing), estimated at £60,000 – 80,000.
Representing Denmark, Michael Peter Ancher's (1849–1927) Ung pige på Skagen Sønderstrand (Young Girl on Skagen Sønderstrand), a refined example of the Skagen painters' naturalism, is offered for an estimate of £100,000 – 150,000.
Prior to the sale, highlights from the collection will tour internationally, including:
• Copenhagen (Bruun Rasmussen): 25 – 27 August
• Stockholm (Bukowski): 2 – 4 September
• Oslo: 9 – 10 September
• London:
o 20 – 24 September (alongside 19th Century & British Impressionist Art highlights)
o 12 – 16 October (selected highlights)
o 25 – 27 October (pre-sale exhibition)