Sven Bruntjen

1940 - 2025

SVEN H. A. BRUNTJEN 
November 27, 1940–August 4, 2025

A uniquely bright light and memorably kind soul was lost on August 4, 2025, when Sven Herman Arnold Bruntjen, Jr. of Marin County passed away at the age of 84, succumbing to pneumonia and heart complications after living with cancer. 

An art dealer, appraiser, and beloved father and friend, Sven was highly respected for his expertise in fine art and rare books and cherished for his curiosity, graciousness, generosity of spirit, sharp wit, and endless humor. 

Sven was born on November 27, 1940, in Minneapolis, MN, to Herman Arnold Bruntjen, Sr., an entrepreneur, and Marjorie (“Mimi”) Elaine Bruntjen (née Kreiser). He was preceded in death by his brothers Worth, John, William, and Frederick, and his wife of 50 years, Sabine Bruntjen. Sven is survived by his daughter Nicole, his son-in-law Michael, and his grandsons Gabriel and Julian Weiss. 

After attending St. Thomas Military Academy in St. Paul, MN, Sven went on to Georgetown University in Washington, DC. He studied in London and Munich and graduated from Georgetown in 1964 with a bachelor’s in fine arts, philosophy, and German literature. 

While studying abroad, Sven met Sabine Ockel, a German-born artist, daughter of acclaimed stage actors, and the granddaughter of the renowned architect Hans Poelzig. The couple married in 1963 and moved to the San Francisco Bay Area. There, Sven pursued his passion for antiquarian books, especially English and German literature and poetry. He worked with legendary British rare book dealer David Magee, as well as William P. Wreden and Joseph Rubinstein. 

Sven’s career path took a turn in 1967 when he began a doctoral program in art history at Stanford University. His dissertation focused on the Boydell Shakespeare Gallery, a late-18th and early-19th century British art gallery and publication house. His doctoral research included two years in London funded by a Kress Foundation Fellowship. He received his PhD in 1974.

From 1974 to 1977, Sven served as Assistant Director and Chief Curator at the Stanford University Museum of Art (now Cantor Arts Center). Under the mentorship of Professor Lorenz Eitner, chair of the Department of Art and Architecture, he participated in the revitalization of galleries that had been severely damaged in the 1906 San Francisco earthquake. In jest and with admiration, Sven was dubbed the “Golden Boy” by his Stanford colleagues. 

Sven went on to have a successful career as an independent art consultant and appraiser, specializing in Old Master paintings, sculpture, prints, and drawings, as well as fine books. The Richard Diebenkorn Foundation, Getty Research Institute, and Achenbach Foundation for Graphic Arts at the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco, were among his many clients. He often collaborated with Kathryn Hobart, his longtime business associate and friend. Sven continued his professional interests and consulting practice up to the very last days of his life. 

Sven and his wife Sabine lived in Palo Alto, CA, for many years before moving to Marin County. They settled in San Rafael. After Sabine’s death in 2014, Sven took comfort in having his daughter Nicole and her family living nearby in Sausalito. He enjoyed cruising with them on their yacht on San Francisco Bay. 

During his final decade, Sven lived with his loving partner and companion Paulina Paczkowska, a Polish-born graphic designer and artist. They traveled widely together until his illness, when she became his devoted caregiver. 

Sven was a collector, not only of books, but of experiences. He took delight in nature and life’s simple pleasures—from kayaking with Paulina along the Sausalito waterfront and walks together in the Marin Headlands to collecting wildflowers, especially the vivid pink amaryllis (Sven’s favorite Naked Ladies). Flowers were a mainstay in his home—as well as laughter. 

Sven was erudite, yet unfailingly humble. Cultured, yet playful and never a snob. He frequented museums, but flea markets were his natural habitat. Always in search of a good deal, “Cheap and cheerful” was Sven’s motto. And in keeping with his love of the fine and decorative arts, watching episodes of Antiques Roadshow was among his guilty pleasures. Although his dream car was a 1953 Rolls-Royce Silver Dawn, in his later years, he happily drove “Bocian,” a bright green 1971 Volkswagen Beetle. 

Sven’s relationships are a precious part of his legacy. Over the years, he cultivated a legion of friends and colleagues, both in the United States and abroad. He will be deeply missed by his family and so many who had the privilege and pleasure of his friendship. 

In lieu of flowers, consider planting a tree (https://store.condolences.com/adobe-creek-funeral-home/trees) in Sven’s memory. Pay tribute to a man who, like a giant redwood, was full of wisdom with deep roots and expansive branches. May his spirit live on.