von Schantz, Philip

Philip von Schantz the artist (1928–98) was as much a graphic artist as a painter. He had his big break in 1966, when he exhibited large graphic sheets with medieval battle helmets as motifs. In the same year, he also painted the neo-realist equivalent of the graphic theme – a white motorcycle helmet with a folded-up plastic visor. His later paintings contain everyday things in precise, enigmatic depictions. Many remember Philip von Schantz for his carefully painted still lifes with everything from root vegetables and apples to gooseberries, blueberries and currants. He himself constantly emphasized that he never actually painted any lingonberries.