Nationalmuseum has acquired a central work in early Swedish photography, Johan Wilhelm Bergström's portrait of his wife Henriette Charlotta Catharina. The daguerreotype was probably created sometime in the mid-1840s, an era when Bergström was one of the very few portrait photographers working in Stockholm.
Nationalmuseum has made a sensational new acquisition of a painting by the Italian artist Artemisia Gentileschi. The motif is Saint Catherine of Alexandria, a theme which recurs several times in Artemisia’s oeuvre. The painting will be on display in the galleries of the museum from February 25th.
Nationalmuseum has acquired two glass sculptures by Rasmus Nossbring. They are part of a group of five, comprising Nossbring’s degree project at Konstfack in 2017. The glass sculptures are portraits of his former colleagues at Reijmyre Glassworks, capturing the everyday private moments in which the person is the most vulnerable.
On 20 February, an exhibition of iconic works and how they have influenced contemporary artists opens at Nationalmuseum in Sweden. One of the exhibition’s key questions is why some works of art have become more famous than others? Artists in the exhibition include Marina Abramović, Jake and Dinos Chapman, Nancy Fouts, Mark Karasick, Sara Masüger, Kiki Smith, Yinka Shonibare and Henrik Jonsson.
Nationalmuseum has acquired the painting Adam in Paradise by the Danish artist Kristian Zahrtmann. It is one of a group of erotic depictions of men which were perceived at the time as being too provocative and ended up in private collections. Thanks to the acquisition, the painting will be one of only a few to be given a permanent place in public.
Nationalmuseum has recently acquired a number of rare objects made of silver plated brass, known as argent haché, from the late 18th century. Few of these objects have survived to the present day, and the museum’s collections had thus previously lacked examples of this important part of Swedish design history.
As part of their assignment to preserve and collect form and design, Nationalmuseum in Stockholm has now started a collection of Swedish fashion items with high artistic originality, created from the year 2000 and on. The collection started with the donation of a dress by Martin Bergström and five dresses designed by Pär Engsheden for Sara Danius.
Next year, Nationalmuseum will continue its extensive range of art and design exhibitions in the museum building on Blasieholmen in Stockholm.
Nationalmuseum has acquired two physiognomic self-portraits painted by the French artist, Joseph Ducreux, one of the foremost artists at the court of Louis XVI. Ducreux’s portraiture exhibits strong influences of naturalism and is characterized by the artist’s ability to capture a specific facial expression or emotional state.
Anna Ottani Cavina is Professor Emeritus of Art History, University of Bologna. In this year’s Tessin Lecture she will talk about Inventing the Landscape: The Origin of Outdoor Painting in Italy in the Early Nineteenth Century, the rise of plein air when artists abandoned their studios and took to painting straight from nature.
Since reopening last year, Nationalmuseum has become a success with visitors. In just one year, the museum has had more than one million visits, which is around three times more than before the renovation took place.
Nationalmuseum has recently acquired a sculpture in terracotta by Verner Åkerman depicting Pierre Louis Alexandre. Pierre Louis Alexandre is primarily known as a model at the Academy of Fine Arts in the latter part of the 1800s and there are many surviving studies of him. However, the acquired sculpture is the only one of its kind known today.
Nationalmuseum is Sweden’s museum of art and design. 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. The collections comprise some 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.
Södra Blasieholmshamnen 2
111 48 Stockholm
Sweden
