Okänd titel, 1990 Akryl på kartong, 32 x 34 cm Courtesy: Daniel Götesson
The Gothenburg artist Roger Risberg (1956–2011) is famous for his compelling paintings ranging from animals and people to everyday scenes. Younger generations of artists are fascinated by his oeuvre. Here, a dramatic event is portrayed in the innocuous style that characterises Risberg’s paintings and drawings.
This is an unknown work depicting two fire engines, an ambulance, a fire and a person in flames. The entire scene is conveyed with burning urgency in a well-balanced composition that reveals meticulous approach to method, style and colour. The work is thought to be from the days he slept in an attic.
The scene is either from when the attic caught fire, or from an attempted bank robbery, where he is said to have set fire to a plant and accidentally ignited himself. The origin and circumstances behind the painting are unclear.
