Erik Näslund

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Rolf de Maré : art collector, ballet director, museum creator

Rolf de Maré is the Swede who meant the most for international modern art and dance. He founded the Swedish Ballet in Paris in the 1920s, was one of the first who collected modern artists such as Picasso, made research trips throughout the world and founded the Dance Museum in Stockholm. But Rolf also lived an exciting life. He loved fast cars, bullfights, beautiful men and elegant parties. And he never denied his homosexuality and this at a time when it was forbidden by law. Rolf de Maré made a unique contribution by filming and documenting dance cultures, especially in Indonesia, which has then disappeared. He ran variety shows and launched superstars like Josephine Baker, founded the world's first magazine for men's fashion, Monsieur, and ran for many years a coffee farm in Africa. He opened the Dance Museum 1952 in Stockholm, the world's first and only museum of dance. He died in 1964 in Barcelona. His great fortune he bequeathed to the Museum of Dance and the main works of his art collection he donated to The Modern Museum in Stockholm. The book is written by Erik Näslund, author, critic, researcher and for many years the director of the Dance Museum in Stockholm. He has also received great acclaim for his biographies of Birgit Cullberg, Nils Dardel, Carina Ari and Carl Milles.