Evgenij Klenø

(Dutch, 1921-2005)

CHARLOTTE WITH CARNATIONS

Oil on Canvas

39¾ x 35½ Inches

Accompanied by 1979 Exhibition Label Signed, 'Kleno' and Titled, Verso, 'Charlotte'

 Additionally titled, verso, on stretcher bar 'Charlotte med Nelliken' (Charlotte with Carnations) and Dated 1977

 

This Russian-Danish Modernist painter and graphic artist studied under Bizzie Hoyer from 1941-1946 before attending the Kunstakademiet Copenhagen under Aksel Jorgensen, among others, from 1948-1958. Kleno has exhibited widely and with success.

 

Born in Denmark to a Russian mother, Kleno studied privately with Bizzie Hoyer from 1941-1946 and with Isaac Grünewald from 1943. He entered the Royal Academy of Fine Arts in 1948, where he studied under Axel Jorgensen and was also a pupil of Vilhelm Lundstrom and Olaf Rude. Kleno's works are known for their powerfully expressive attack, blending vivid tonal highlights with deep foundation colors. Kleno worked primarily with landscapes and still-lifes, but is also known for his portraits and nudes. He was inspired by fellow modernists such as Edvard Weie and Karl Isakson but quickly developed his own unique style which combined Expressionism and Fauvism with rapid, intuitive brushwork. From 1949, Kleno lived in Paris where he met and befriended the artists Robert Jacobsen, Richard Mortensen, Asgar Jorn and Serge Poliakoff. They lived together at a Danish artist's house and collaborated on several projects, holding numerous successful combined exhibitions at the Galerie Denise René. From 1952, Kleno also worked in Italy and, from 1955, In Spain. He later moved permanently to France, where he lived in the village of Bervardière in the Dordogne until his death in 2005. During his lifetime, Kleno was the recipient of numerous prizes, medals and juried awards including the prestigious Koefoed award (1961) and the Serdin Hansen Prize (1985). A book about the life and works of Kleno was published in 1998.

 

Exhibitions:

The Artists Fall Exhibition: 1947-1956.

Charlottenborg: 1966-1985.

Skive Museum of Fine Arts: 1974.

Aarhus Exhibition: 1978.

Gallery Trygve Petersen: 1963.

The Free Exhibition: 1965-1969.

Gallery Henning Larsen: 1983.

Rubin & Magnussen: 1985.

Taarnby Townhall: 1978.

Gallery Orbit: 1990

 

Reference:

Weilbach, Dansk Kunstnerleksikon; Davenport’s Art Reference Guide, 2007/8 Edition, p.1480; et al.