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412
IV. EDUCATION AND MENTAL CULTURE IN SWEDEN.
The next era — that of the later baroque — coincides with the Era of
Sweden’s Political Greatness during the latter half of the seventeenth century. Castles
and palaces — in which particularly the capital and the Malar provinces now
begin to abound — are erected on a scale hitherto unknown, and the previous, more
serious character of style passes over into a lighter one with impulses chiefly
from France but also from Italy. A grand, imposing design and excellent
proportions are traits distinctive of the edifices, the details of which, however,
sometimes are studied somewhat negligently. The foremost architects of the time are
Jean de la Vallée (1620/96) and Nikodemus Tessin, Sen. (1615/81). The
former has, amongst other things, completed the House of Nobles — the most
representative building of the time (illustr, p. 82) — and erected the present
Town Hall and other palaces of the capital. The latter in his works — amongst
which should be mentioned the palace of Axel Oxenstierna (illustr, p. 199), that
of the Bank of Sweden besides other edifices in Stockholm, the main part of the
royal palace at Drottningholm (illustr, p. 88), the palace of Borgholm in Olaad,
still remainig as a magnificent ruin (p. 364), the palaces of Eriksberg and of
Skokloster (illustr, p. 84), the latter carried out in collaboration with de la Vallée,
and other larger or smaller country seats as well as the Cathedral’ of Kalmar —
proves a versatile, talented artist understanding how to express in architecture, now
a magnificent or seriously monumental character, now an idyllic, lovely one.
Drottningholm certainly is a luxurious structure in French taste but most of Tessin’s
works bear the character of an unostentatious architecture modeled on Italian
prototypes. This was further developed by his son, Nikodemus Tessin, Jun.
(1654/1728), who was a co-operator at many of the later works of his father,
and in this way rise was given to the last era of the Swedish baroque. It is
contemporary with the European rococo but shows a somewhat deviating character
and might be termed the Tessinian or the Royal palace-building period.
The erection of the Royal palace of Stockholm (illustr, p. 169) — a work
by Nikodemus Tessin, Jun. — began on the site of the old one after the fire in
1697, and the work proceeded during the whole of the former part of the
eighteenth century. This monumental edifice has outwardly more in common with
the Italian high and låte renaissance than with contemporary architecture. The
plain, but ingeniously grand, and at the same time picturesque design, enhanced
by the splendid situation, necessarily makes a mighty impression. The palace is
also acknowledged to be, not only the chief edifice of Sweden, but also one of
the foremost in the world. What effects Tessin knew how to draw even out of
the interior is evident by the galleries and vestibules of the palace, among which
the southern vestibule especially is striking by its genial composition, as well as
by that of Drottningholm and by his own palace with its Italian garden design
(illustr, p. 195). The Caroline mortuary chapel, joined to the Riddarholm Church,
is a brilliant decorative work of his hand. Besides these, he has — in
Stockholm as well as in provincial parts — handed down to posterity a great
number of attractive works of architecture, amongst which also are to be found
divine ones.
Of the interiors of the Royal palace, several were added after the death of
Tessin; he did not live to see the completion of his masterpiece. These and
similar parts in the royal country palaces, the delicately designed opera-house of
Gustavus III — now pulled down — the Stockholm Exchange, and the inside
of some churches, amongst which the magnificent Palace chapel, — constitute the
chief productions of the rococo style proper in Sweden.
The following eras, that of Louis-Seize and of the Napoleon style, — in
Sweden generally named after the Kings Gustavus III and Charles XIV — have
chiefly left us interiors, the most remarkable of which are to be seen in the
royal country palaces in the environs of Stockholm.
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