St. Hans (St. John), 1953. Signed Jorn; signed, titled and dated on the reverse. The painting is No. XIII of the series "Aarstiderne" (The Seasons). Oil on canvas. 53 x 60 cm. #%i%# Literature: Guy Atkins: "Jorn in Scandinavia 1930-1953", Copenhagen, 1968, no. 816. Provenance: Mr. Tage Møller Andersen, Silkeborg. Acquired directly from the artist and not previously offered for sale. Asger Jorn's mother was a frequent customer of the current owner's father at ?Det Grønne Hjørne? (The Green Corner). A few times during the early 1930s she paid part of her monthly bill with Asger Jorn's earliest works painted on lids of margarine boxes that were hung in the shop?s storage cellar. Jorn's mother later suggested that the two early paintings be given back to her so they could become part of a possible museum collection in the future. In return, she would make her son agree to give the current owner's father a new painting instead. At the beginning of 1953 the city was abuzz with the news of Jorn?s departure for Paris. Therefore the current owner's father approached Jorn in the artist?s studio and reminded him of the agreement with the mother, and so the artwork ? with the paint barely dry on its canvas at the time ? came into the current owner's possession. The painting is number eight (serial number XIII) in the unfinished series of a total of fifteen paintings called "Aarstiderne" (The Seasons) (1948-1953). Jorn commenced work on the series during his hospitalization at Silkeborg Sanatorium, and it was painted simultaneously with the monumental series "Af den stumme myte" (On the Silent Myth) for Silkeborg Library. The offered work is one of six paintings dedicated to the month of June. During the period where these paintings were coming to life Jorn was also deeply engaged in a literary study of the concept of 'folklore', which influenced the themes of the paintings. The works from the two series are highlighted as a pinnacle of Jorn?s Nordic work ? created just before he left Denmark. Estimate in DKK : 500000 600000