Death of King Gustav II Adolf of Sweden at the Battle of Lützen

Carl Wahlbom (1810 - 1858)

Artist/Maker

Artist: Carl Wahlbom (1810 - 1858)

DatesSigned: Signed 1855

Material / Technique

Oil on canvas

Dimensionsh x w: Mått 101 x 151 cm h x w x d: Ram 139 x 191 x 16 cm

Inventory numberNM 1028

AcqusitionTransferred 1865 Kongl. Museum

Other titlesTitle (sv): Gustav II Adolfs död i slaget vid Lützen Title (en): Death of King Gustav II Adolf of Sweden at the Battle of Lützen

DescriptionDescription: This is one of the best known images from Sweden’s 19th century art: the moment when king Gustavus Adolphus dies on the battlefield in Lützen on 6 November 1632. In the chaotic battle scene everything is focused on a centre that is strangely calm. The dead king, powerfully illuminated, seems to slide from his horse whereupon he is caught up by a horrified Swedish soldier. The king is portrayed as a national hero and martyr, a figure reminiscent of portrayals of the dead Christ.

Depicted Person

King Gustav II Adolf (1594 - 1632)

Collection

Paintings (Paintings)

MaterialOil paint, Duk

TechniquePainting

Object category

painting

Keyword

Scen

Extern ID

Wikidata: http://www.wikidata.org/entity/Q18573550

Additional texteDescription: Wahlbom’s painting shows Gustav II Adolf on the battlefield at Lützen in 1632. In the fog and confusion, the king has become separated from his own troops. Here, he has been surrounded by the enemy and is killed. The artist shows the king in a pose recalling that of Christ in Michelangelo’s Pietà in St Peter’s in Rome. The light focuses attention on the central figure and imparts a supernatural, silvery glow to the objects around him. Description: This painting shows the moment when the Swedish King Gustav II Adolf is killed on the battlefield at Lützen on 6 November, 1632. The brightly illuminated body of the dead king appears to be sliding off his horse, only to be caught by a horrified Swedish soldier. The king is portrayed as a hero and a martyr, a figure distinctly reminiscent of renditions of the dead Christ. But Wahlbom has also utilised the potential of the scene to show off his strongest technical skill – that of painting horses in various movements and light.