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Painting: Norwegian landscape, Charles XV, 1856. Gustavianum Uppsala University Museum

Charles XV’s Norwegian Landscape painted in Romsdalen

King Charles XV (1826–1872) was known for his paintings, but elements of his artistic output have remained obscure until now. A researcher at Uppsala University has now discovered great similarities between one of the king’s most famous works, Norwegian Landscape, and that of the painting from Romsdalen by Norwegian artist Thomas Fearnley (1802–1842) .

Egyptian ceramic child sarcophagus, belonged to a boy named Pa-nefer-neb. Photo: Marcus Holmqvist

Return of a cermic child sarcophagus to university museum Gustavianum

Uppsala University Museum Gustavianum and the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston have reached an agreement on the return of an ancient Egyptian ceramic child sarcophagus, dated to the 19th Dynasty (1295–1186 BC). The sarcophagus belonged to a boy named Pa-nefer-neb.

New book highlights impact of streamed reading

More and more readers are opting to stream audiobooks , preferably in the crime fiction or romance genres. For many, it has become a way to fall asleep at night. "We can see this by the fact that many users start listening late at night – sleep sessions that end exactly after 30 minutes or three hours. They’ve simply fallen asleep," notes literary scholar Karl Berglund.

 Jana Rüegg has submitted her doctoral thesis at the Department of Literature, Uppsala University. Photo: Ute Rüegg

Small publishers increasingly important for translated literature

Over the period 1970–2016, small publishing houses became increasingly important for the publication of literature in translation in Sweden. More than ever, Nobel laureates are being published by relatively small independent publishers. A specialisation in translations often stems from a publisher’s personal interest in a language or geographical area.

Professor Marie Allen and Conservator Malin Sahlstedt. Photo: Anna Maria Forsberg/Vasamuseet.

One of Vasa’s crewmen was a woman

When the human remains found on board the warship Vasa were investigated, it was determined that the skeleton designated G was a man. New research now shows that the skeleton is actually from a woman. "It is very difficult to extract DNA from bone which has been on the bottom of the sea for 333 years, but not impossible”, says Marie Allen, Professor at Uppsala University.

Uppåt (Upwards) Part of light and sound installation at Odarslöv Church (2018). Artist and photographer: Jesper Wachtmeister

From living heritage to zombie churches

Churches are preserved by an antiquarian system that risks killing them instead of keeping them alive. The Swedish State and the Church of Sweden therefore need to define new joint visions and goals to enable the ecclesiastical cultural heritage to be used and developed. This is shown by historian of art Henrik Lindblad in a new doctoral thesis from Uppsala University.

The focus of financial reporting influences business cycles

Editorial choices can impact the amplitude of business cycles even if the information that is reported is correct. On reason is that the focus of the reports can be on sectors that are non-representative of the economy in general. A new study shows that financial reporting can explain up to 20 per cent of the business cycles for GDP and 40 per cent of the business cycles for unemployment.

Jenny Björklund, associate professor of literature and senior lecturer in gender studies at the Centre for Gender Research at Uppsala University

​Why mothers in novels leave their families

Mothers leaving their families is not a new theme in Swedish fiction. But the reasons for leaving have changed. It is no longer about lack of gender equality, instead, they feel suffocated by the nuclear family, by the children or simply by society’s demands to have children. That is one of the conclusions in Jenny Björklund’s research on why mothers in 21st century books leave their families.

Finery for fashionable ladies

When the first descriptions of knitting and crochet were published in Swedish, in the mid-19th century, such handiwork was described as the finest of all feminine handicrafts, for the benefit and pleasure alike of the trend-conscious, middle- and upper-class woman. Within a few decades, the patterns had moved into fashion journals. A new thesis examines how these changes affected handicrafts.

Carved chess pieces on a board of ebony, mother-of-pearl and inlaid silver in Philipp Hainhofer’s Pomeranian Art Cabinet (Berlin). Photo: Greger Sundin.

Parlour games 400 years ago – almost like today

In a new thesis from Uppsala University, art historian Greger Sundin studied 16th and 17th century games that have been preserved in princely collections for example. Right at the end of his work on the thesis, he and a colleague were able to solve an over 300 year old riddle about a game in the Augsburg Art Cabinet.

A mirror Allah. Photo: Annika Larsson

Exhibition: Viking Age patterns may be Kufic script

What was previously thought to be typical Viking Age, silver patterns on woven silk bands, could in fact be geometric Kufic characters. As part of an exhibition at the Enköping Museum, ongoing research is presented where a textile archaeological analysis suggests that both Allah and Ali are invoked in the pattern of the bands.

Uncertainty among writers aiming to publish

One in five people dreams of publishing a novel. At the same time, there are no hard and fast criteria for determining whether a manuscript has the proper traits for publication by an established publisher. This creates a fundamental insecurity among both aspiring writers and publishers alike, according to a new dissertation from Uppsala University.

A Swedish style?

Why has the neoclassical Gustavian style become so prominent in the Swedish self-image? A new dissertation from Uppsala University shows how researchers in art history, along with museums, commercial enterprises and the monarchy, have contributed to preserving and conveying the Gustavian style.

Vicke Lindstrand ‘at work’ in the first floor studio of his Kosta villa, 1954. Photo: Kulturparken Småland/Photo archives of Smålands museum.

Booklaunch - Vicke Lindstrand On The Periphery

Australian design historian Mark Ian Jones launches his new book Vicke Lindstrand On The Periphery- the first English language publication to examine the life and work of the Swedish artist and his place in Scandinavian design history. The author describes the image and reception of an artist and designer who didn’t “fit the mould” but has shown to be more influential than previously perceived.

Uppsala University - quality, knowledge, and creativity since 1477

Founded in 1477, Uppsala University is the oldest university in Sweden. With more than 50,000 students and 7,500 employees in Uppsala and Visby, we are a broad university with research in social sciences, humanities, technology, natural sciences, medicine and pharmacology. Our mission is to conduct education and research of the highest quality and relevance to society on a long-term basis. Uppsala University is regularly ranked among the world’s top universities.

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