Across the Sound – Interview with Our New Representative in Sweden

Bruun Rasmussen's Representative in Sweden

It is an experienced and committed new representative that we have found in Anna Sievert. She has worked for 20 years in the auction business in Sweden, both at Bukowskis and Stockholms Auktionsverk. For the past five years, she has focused on photography and photographic art at Fotografiska Museum in Stockholm. Anna Sievert’s many years in the business will benefit the customers in Sweden, as she puts it:

“My role will be as Bruun Rasmussen's locally based representative in Stockholm with connections to the rest of Sweden, where I will be available for the Swedish customers of the auction house, new and old alike. The appraisal of art objects is, of course, an important part of the work, and that suits me just fine, as I am an authorized valuation specialist by the Swedish Chamber of Commerce. In addition, I am a member of Bruun Rasmussen's international sales team, where our job is to make sure that the right buyers find the right items at our auctions.

As a representative of a Danish auction house abroad, the most important thing for me is to help both sellers and Bruun Rasmussen select the art objects that have the greatest potential in our part of the auction market. The decision depends on the individual items, but I strongly believe in the sales potential of internationally interesting art objects and of course Danish art and design. The big exhibition about the Danish Golden Age at Stockholm's Nationalmuseum this year has also inspired several Swedish sellers contact me regarding their fantastic Danish paintings.” 

Dreaming of Danish Design

With many years in the business, Anna Sievert has had the opportunity to dive into virtually every corner of the auction world. Over time, some favourite categories have set themselves apart:

“I am very fond of Danish design and my dream right now is to replace all the handles in my home with the AJ handles that Arne Jacobsen designed for the SAS Royal Hotel in Copenhagen. Otherwise, I think that more people should take a closer look at the antique mahogany furniture in the Empire style. They are being sold for a trifling sum compared to their high-quality craftsmanship.

I also love Bruun Rasmussen's "Varia" category, which is a dream for interior design enthusiasts. It's a treasure trove of unique items that I think many new customers will love exploring, not least interior designers. So a good tip would be to look at these auctions if you want to find something truly personal for your home.”

Josef Frank as a Painter

It is not only Danish design that Anna Sievert has an interest in. She has also helped to uncover new sides of the Austrian-born architect and designer Josef Frank, who has had a great influence on Swedish design.

“I discovered an old folder with watercolours at my in-laws and found that they were painted by the architect and designer Josef Frank. It turns out that there were many more paintings among relatives and friends. I started cataloguing the watercolours, and it ended up with an exhibition and a book entitled "Josef Frank – the Unknown Watercolours". My research is now available at the National Archives in Stockholm and contains 459 paintings. Before I began my cataloguing project, it was not known to the public that Josef Frank could also paint.”

Building More Bridges Across the Sound

In the auction business, the in-depth research work with the items is combined with the busy tasks of customer meetings and appraisals. It has therefore been a busy first half year for Anna Sievert at Bruun Rasmussen. But she has had the time to notice how much Bruun Rasmussen is already known among the Swedes.

“It is with some pride that I have experienced how good a reputation Bruun Rasmussen has among both business people and private individuals. This past spring has been very inspiring for that reason! Almost everyone I have talked to has thought that a sale on the other side of the Sound would be both exciting and the right move in terms of the customer experience available.

I hope I can become a bridge builder between new private customers and Bruun Rasmussen. There are still many people in Sweden who have not discovered that they can just as easily sell their art and design in Denmark and thereby reach a larger group of customers all over the world. In addition, Bruun Rasmussen still has auctions in many special categories where there are treasures to be found in Sweden – such as coins, stamps, books, wristwatches, jewellery and weapons. With the company’s large network of international representatives and locally stationed sales team, Bruun Rasmussen can reach collectors all over the world.”

If you live in Sweden, you can contact Anna Sievert to hear more about selling and buying at Bruun Rasmussen. Keep an eye on our website to see the deadlines for our upcoming auctions and bid on the ones that are already underway!