Literature: Martin Cardel Gertsen and Erik Hagens: “Malerier og digte. Gustaf Munch-Petersen”, Forlaget Sohn, 2008, reproduced p. 80. Literature: Lars Kærulf Møller (ed.): “Gustaf Munch-Petersen”, Bornholms Kunstmuseum and Silkeborg Kunstmuseum, 2000., reproduced on the cover. Provenance: By descent in the family. Not previously offered for sale.

At its core, the story of Gustaf Munch-Petersen – poet, freedom fighter, bohemian, artist – tells of a questing yet uncompromising spirit who ultimately abandons the pen for the sword in his pursuit of justice. His literary legacy is more extensive than his artistic one, making his artworks true rarities in the market. The historical impact of his art is nevertheless impressive, and this gouache, alongside the excellent Vilhelm Bjerke-Petersen ink drawing, bears witness to early Danish Surrealism – and a profound artistic and intellectual friendship. Munch-Petersen is part of “Linien I”, which initially includes contemporaries such as Richard Mortensen, Ejler Bille and Bjerke-Petersen. However, fierce internal disputes about the true purpose of art soon arise, and strong-willed personalities clash forcefully: While Bille and Mortensen wish to focus on purely aesthetic theoretical and pictorial possibilities, Bjerke-Petersen and Munch-Petersen believe that Surrealism possesses an inherent social revolutionary potential that can liberate the individual and overturn existing norms. In this connection, the artist serves as a bridge between vision and reality. A bridge builder who succeeds in connecting to the intense emotions of the subconscious – that vital force suppressed by culture and society. The weight of this responsibility ultimately leads Munch-Petersen to choose “the cause” over existence, following his belief that “an artist who is not revolutionary is not an artist”. Aged just 26, he falls in the Spanish Civil War, driven by his yearning for freedom and his belief in a better world. On the Danish island of Bornholm, two little girls are left without a father, one still carried by his pregnant wife, who suddenly finds herself widowed. Like many of his contemporaries, Munch-Petersen is fascinated by indigenous peoples. Their art, along with their rituals, magic, and life in harmonious accord with nature, offers an appealing alternative to the disconnection of industrialized society. In this motif, the composition is constructed of defined colour fields using a clear and luminous palette. Against an uninterrupted, grass green background, the foreground presents a myriad of disconnected symbols, dominated by a cobalt blue female figure with larval eyebrows. Among the objects depicted are those familiar from Munch-Petersen’s works alongside more unusual items, including a knife, snake and cross – masculine and feminine symbols – animals, plants, and body parts – as well as a toppled glass, an open bottle, a crooked key, and a mahogany-coloured pipe. The image doesn’t present a linear narrative, but rather consists of fragmented, associative for the spectator to assemble. Let us therefore leave the actual interpretation to the viewer – and simply delight in this small and deeply unique gem! ideal jeg er kun menneske, men jeg skal engang rive jordens bjerge op og lade dem rasle for ørerne af dem, der sover – jer er kun menneske, men jeg skal engang tage solen ned fra himlen og lyse i alle mørke huller med hvidt ubarmhjertigt lys – jeg er kun menneske, men jeg skal engang stjæle gudernes lyn og feje jorden ren for støv.