922/​336

Louis Marcussen (Ovartaci) (b. Ebeltoft 1894, d. Århus 1985)

“Lilly” and “Doris”, recto et verso and “Ramses II”. One is signed. Gouache on unprimed canvas. 168×30.5 cm and 180×30.5 cm. (2)

Provenance: Acquired directly by the artist from a former nursing assistant for DKK 500 and two bags of liquorice allsorts.

In recent years, the artist Ovartaci (born Louis Marcussen) has secured a more prominent position in Danish art history, highlighted by the 2018 exhibition Ovartaci and the Art of Madness at Kunsthal Charlottenborg, as well as his contribution to the 2022 Venice Biennale. However, the artist also received some recognition during his lifetime, participating in the 1979 exhibition Outsider at Louisiana. During that time, artists such as Asger Jorn and Jean Dubuffet were captivated by Ovartaci's work. Dubuffet even saw Ovartaci's art as an excellent example of his concept of “Art Brut”—a term used to describe raw, 'outsider' art created by people outside the conventions of the art world.

Throughout his life, Ovartaci struggled with mental illness and was hospitalized in psychiatric institutions for 56 years. It is, therefore, difficult to separate his mental illness and the accompanying hallucinations from Ovartaci's persona and art. His psyche is vividly expressed in his creations, and exploring the artist's work becomes almost like a journey into his thoughts and fantasy worlds. Ovartaci's motifs are distinctive and consistent, often featuring the same figures and creatures repeatedly. The figures in these two works are particularly characteristic of Ovartaci's style and appear in several of the artist's pieces.

This lot is subject to Artist's Royalty.
Additional Remarks

Please note: The item is subject to the Anti-Money Laundering Act. In the event of a hammer price of DKK 50,000 or more, including buyer’s premium, the buyer must submit a copy of a valid photo ID and proof of address in order to collect the item.

Auction

Modern paintings sculptures and prints, 17 September 2024

Category
Estimate

200,000–250,000 DKK

Sold

Price realised

190,000 DKK