Sweden's Theodor Ahrenberg was one of the 20th century’s greatest art collectors. We interviewed his son Staffan, the publisher of Cahiers d'Art.
How did your father become a collector? It was his passion. Nothing, neither his family nor his professional environment, predestined him to become a collector. He acquired his first piece, a lithograph by Picasso, in the late 1940s before moving on to prints, paintings and sculptures. Soon he wanted to meet the artists and from then on he bought works directly from them. He took advantage of his trips as the head of a petrochemical company to visit their studios. In Poland, he met Tadeusz Kantor. In France, he got closer to Matisse and Picasso. He also hosted artists in his Stockholm apartment. Chagall and Tinguely came to stay at his invitation. As his collection became famous, he also got involved in the art scene. He took part in organisations such as the Friends of the Nationalmuseum or the Moderna Museet in Stockholm. He also criticised the shortcomings…
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