The Nationalmuseum pays tribute to Swedish modernist women sculptors
Agnes de Frumerie in her studioAlice Nordin - Bust of a Woman - variant of Andante Patetico - 1911
From 17 March to 11 September 2022, the Nationalmuseum in Stockholm presents "What a Joy to be a Sculptor!" Swedish Women Artists 1880-1920", an exhibition that traces the work of women sculptors of Swedish modernism.
Source: Nationalmuseum, Stockholm. Images: Agnes de Frumerie in her studio, photograph by Gustav Simon Ander ·· Alice Nordin, Bust of a woman, variant of "Andante Patetico", 1911. Patinated plaster. National Museum.
The exhibition, which takes its title from an entry in artist Ida Matton's diary on 10 August 1923 ("What a joy to be a sculptor! Artist. Hooray!"), presents some 100 works by several Swedish female sculptors working in the period between 1880 and 1920, including Ida Matton (1863-1940), Ruth Milles (1873-1941), Alice Nordin (1871-1948), Agnes de Frumerie (1869-1937) and Sigrid Fridman (1879-1963).
After their studies travelled to the Continent, and especially to Paris. There, they encountered modern ways of living and new artistic ideals. There were art schools, salon exhibitions and world’s fairs. The women sculptors were adept at finding new and collaborative approaches, especially when it came to applied art aimed at a wider market. Several of them enjoyed great success at exhibitions and remained in Paris for most of their life. Others led a somewhat nomadic existence across Europe, living independently, and unconventionally by the standards of the time, in free relationships.
In their day, the often physically demanding work of sculpting was considered unsuitable for women, as were certain subjects, such as sculptures of nude bodies. Despite this, the museum explains, "their oeuvre was extensive, encompassing all genres. Often reproduced in various sizes and materials, their sculptures became very popular. But they also came in for criticism and achieved only limited exposure in museums and public spaces. As a result, many of them were forgotten for much of the 20th century".

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