The Rolf de Maré Collection

Rolf de Maré (1888-1964), the creator and artistic director of the Ballets Suèdois, was introduced to the French art scene by his close friend, the artist Nils Dardel. Dardel was a personal friend of artists such as Fernand Léger and George Braque, and also with the art dealers Alfred Flechtheim and Wilhelm Udhe. Over the years, Rolf de Maré built a valuable collection of modern art, especially cubist works, with Dardel as his advisor and buyer. In 1950, Rolf de Maré donated Pablo Picasso’s Mandolin Player to Moderna Museet. In 1966, he bequeathed further works to the Museum, including Marie Laurencin’s Les Jeunes Filles (1912), which was the first work Dardel acquired on Maré’s behalf, followed by George Braque’s Still-Life with Fruit Bowl (1909) and Fernand Léger’s Staircase. The donation also included works by Rolf de Maré’s mother, Ellen Roosval (née von Hallwyl).