The 1940s

The 1940s are characterised by Modernist formal experiments. Abstract and Abstract Constructivist works are neighbour to Expressionistic works, which in a more narrative way lead us into highly atmospheric, fairy tale realms. The CoBrA painters (1948-51) are already active with their spontaneous, "primitive" images. For example, masks and portraits take us on a wild, erotic psycho-journey. Egill Jacobsen's painting Red Object (1940) contains all the spontaneity and ferocity that later are to characterise CoBrA art, of which he is one of the main exponents. Expansive planes of colour, dramatic colour contrasts, strong brush strokes and a dynamic composition express an energy, which is difficult to control. Far more balance and intellectual reflection is to be found in Vilhelm Lundstrøm's Composition, in which he treats classical forms and proportions in a Modernist idiom.