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Categories: the romantic eye

Left: Caspar David Friedrich, Caspar David Friedrich, Two men observing the moon. Right: Gustav Adolph Hennig, Reading Girl. both images are cropped.

Revolutionary artworks from the Romantic era go on show at Nationalmuseum

This autumn, Nationalmuseum is presenting a major exhibition entitled The Romantic Eye. Visitors will enjoy a full-on experience of the revolutionary artworks that appeared in the years around 1800, when art itself and the role of the artist evolved to reflect emerging ideas about independent thinking, individual experience and the creative mind. The exhibition runs from 26 September 2024.

Welcome to Nationalmuseum Sweden!

Nationalmuseum is Sweden’s museum of art and design, located in the heart of Stockholm. The collections include paintings, sculptures, drawings and graphic art from the 16th century up to the beginning of the 20th century, and applied art and design up to the present day. Nationalmuseum owns about 700,000 objects.

The emphasis of the collection of paintings is on Swedish 18th and 19th century painting. Dutch painting from the 17th century is also well represented, and the French 18th century collection is regarded as one of the best in the world. The works are made by artists such as Rembrandt, Rubens, Goya, Boucher, Watteau, Renoir and Degas as well as Swedish artists such as Anders Zorn, Carl Larsson, Ernst Josephson and Carl Fredrik Hill.

The collection of applied art and design consists of objects such as ceramics, textiles, glass and precious and non-precious metals as well as furniture and books etc. The collection of prints and drawings comprises works by Rembrandt, Watteau, Manet, Sergel, Carl Larsson, Carl Fredrik Hill and Ernst Josephson. Central are the 2,000 master drawings that Carl Gustaf Tessin acquired during his tour of duty as Sweden's ambassador to France in the 18th century.

Art and objects from Nationalmuseum’s collections can also be seen at several royal palaces such as Gripsholm, Drottningholm, Strömsholm, Rosersberg and Ulriksdal as well as in the Swedish Institute in Paris. The museum administers the Swedish National Portrait Gallery at Gripsholm Castle, the world’s oldest national portrait gallery and the Gustavsberg collection with approximately 45,000 objects manufactured at the Gustavsberg Porcelain Factory. Nationalmuseum also curates exhibitions at Nationalmuseum Jamtli and the Gustavsberg Porcelain Museum.

Nationalmuseum is a government authority with a mandate to preserve cultural heritage and promote art, interest in art and knowledge of art and that falls within the remit of the Swedish Ministry of Culture.