Lena Cronqvist was a visual artist, sculptor, graphic artist and book illustrator, and is one of the Swedish artists whose works have been sold for high auction prices in Sweden. In 2016, the painting "Trolovningen" was sold for a record price of 9.2 million kronor at Bukowskis.
She was one of our very greatest and fascinated both younger and older generations, says Karin Sidén, superintendent and museum director at Waldemarsudde.
Mårten Castenfors, art expert and former head of Liljevalchs, thinks that Swedish art life would have been "extremely boring" without Lena Cronqvist.
She went her own way but has influenced many, many young people. Kids have been inspired by her way of working.
Dark undertone
Lena Cronqvist broke through in the 1970s and has worked with themes such as love, childhood and death, often from private life experiences but always with general relevance.
During the years 1990-1994, she often depicted young girls, often in a naive way but with a dark undertone. After her husband Göran Tunström's death in 2000, Lena Cronqvist also painted a number of self-portraits where she made her body both motif and subject.
Right from the 60s, she thematized motherhood and questioned the role of women as it appeared and emphasized women's right to be themselves, and equality between men and women. She also explored and highlighted mental illness, says Karin Sidén.
Many people think that her works could be scary.
Then they miss her humor. All her most bizarre paintings, where some small figure cuts off dad's legs, are very funny, says Mårten Castenfors, who has known Lena Cronqvist since he was six years old.
I usually say that if she hadn't had so much charm, you would have wanted to throw her out the window
Lost her sight
In 2024, her retrospective exhibition "Six decades" was shown at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts. Lena Cronqvist had then become blind. In an interview with TT, she said about the exhibition that "it's best to take the opportunity while you still remember a little".
Drawing is not possible. Everyone says "you can work with clay or wax" and of course you can play, but then I won't be able to see what it became, she said then.
Despite her vision problems, she was still active until the end, emphasizes Karin Sidén.
And until the very end, she was such an innovative artist.
Lena Cronqvist was 86 years old.
Lena Cronqvist
TT
Born: 1938 in Karlstad.
Family: Was married to the author Göran Tunström, who passed away in 2000. Son Linus Tunström and grandchildren.
Education: Studied at Konstfack (1958-59) and the Royal College of Art (1959-64) in Stockholm.
Art: Expressive and colorful painting with great psychological depth. Among her most famous motifs, both as a painter and sculptor, are the girls she has made into complex people in their own right. Has also made textile art, watercolor, landscape painting and graphics.
Awards: Prince Eugen Medal 1994, Fröding Scholarship 2012
