Summary Jewish art collections in Sweden at the turn of the century ‐ a link in the assimilation process At the beginning of the present century there were several Jewish art collectors in Sweden. They tended to collect contemporary art, concentrating in particular on artists connected with the Konstnärsfärbund (the Artists’ Association). A lively interest in art was naturally an important motivation, but there is good reason to ask ourselves whether this activity may not also have been a major element in a process of assimilation. In 1870 Jews living in Sweden had been granted full civil rights. The emancipation of the Jews had been a long process. There had been no pogroms nor any organised racial persecution in the usual sense; compared with the situation in other countries the treatment of Jewish immigrants in Sweden had been reasonably benevolent. All the same, a certain amount of more or less latent anti‐Semitism was revealed in some sections of the press and in the general debate about freedom of trade. Towards the end of the 19th century an increasing number of Jews were disassociating themselves from the most rigorous forms of Mosaic orthodoxy, thus also breaking away from the previously introverted circles of Jewish society. The assimilation of the Jews was connected with the growth and development of the towns. Sweden's gradual transition from an agrarian to an industrial society favoured the Jews who were seeking participation in the national identity. Events abroad, such as the Dreyfus affair and the evolution of Zionism, were other operative factors. In the light of these developments, two art collectors have been studied: Carl Robert Lamm and John Josephson. Both belonged to families who had lived in Sweden for several generations and become acclimatised to Swedish society. In both cases a family firm provided the economic base for the creation of an art collection. Both men had made contributions in different fields to the life of the country. Lamm worked for the arts and crafts movement and Josephson for the development of the free trade system. The two art collections were different in many ways: Lamm's was large and wide‐ranging, including contemporary and earlier Swedish and foreign works, while Josephson's was much smaller and specialised on contemporary Swedish art. The two men even approached the business of collecting in quite different ways. Their activities must be seen in the light of the current buying policy of the art galleries. At the turn of the century efforts were being made to bring art and knowledge about art to the people as a whole, and both Lamm and Josephson were acquainted with some of the pioneers of this way of thinking. Lamm's marriage put him in touch with museum curators and other specialists who could give him expert advice. At Näsby Slott, originally one of Tessin the Elder's houses, Lamm built up a large collection, ranging from European Old Masters and Swedish 18th century silver to Art Nouveau arts and crafts and contemporary paintings. He often purchased whole collections, frequently without having seen any of the items. Both Lamm and Josephson were in touch with well‐known artists of their day. Lamm was a close friend of Carl Larsson and Josephson of Karl Nordstrom. Larsson painted portraits of members of both their families, some of them revealing typical features of the national‐romantic style. John Josephson often ordered and bought art direct from the artists, particularly some of the Konstnärsförbund members and other artists belonging to the 1909 Group (1909 års man). He particularly liked paintings of Swedish landscapes in national‐romantic mood. Although the two collections are so unlike each other, they can be assigned to a similar context. Both collectors wanted to make art available to the general public. They saw it as a civic duty to disseminate a knowledge of art—something which could also confirm their status as Swedish citizens. As a result of the economic crises of the 1920s, Carl Robert Lamm was forced to sell the greater part of his collection and was thus unable to fulfil his original intentions, but he nonetheless donated several important works to various institutions. John Josephson's collection was donated to Sweden's Nationalmuseum.
Read full abstract
Jan 1, 1996
Syed Ahmad 
Open Access