When Crown Prince Gustaf returned from Versailles in 1771 to ascend the throne of Sweden, he was determined to give his country a leading place in Europe culturally as well as politically. The style he fostered -- Neoclassicism -- was itself an international movement; there are echos in the interiors displayed here of the Louis XVI and Empire modes. Pieces of furniture may reflect French, English, or German influences, or be copied from objects discovered at Pompeii -- but all are suffused by a distinctively Swedish freshness and the northern light.
From royal salons to modest spatter-painted Biedermeier halls, Hakan Groth and Fritz von der Schulenburg open the doors on an astonishing sequence of interiors; some, intensely private, are little known even in Sweden. The evocative photographs, all specially taken for this book, present in detail the decoration and furnishings of twenty houses and apartments. The text traces the evolution of the Neoclassical style in Sweden, placing it in its wider European context, and explores each of the buildings and its history. Plans, and original drawings by the architects and designers, complete the picture.
These beautiful interiors are of unique value today not only as treasure houses of superb craftsmanship but also as a stimulus to contemporary decorators, and as a reminder that an international language can be spoken in a delightfully personal way.
Show moreWhen Crown Prince Gustaf returned from Versailles in 1771 to ascend the throne of Sweden, he was determined to give his country a leading place in Europe culturally as well as politically. The style he fostered -- Neoclassicism -- was itself an international movement; there are echos in the interiors displayed here of the Louis XVI and Empire modes. Pieces of furniture may reflect French, English, or German influences, or be copied from objects discovered at Pompeii -- but all are suffused by a distinctively Swedish freshness and the northern light.
From royal salons to modest spatter-painted Biedermeier halls, Hakan Groth and Fritz von der Schulenburg open the doors on an astonishing sequence of interiors; some, intensely private, are little known even in Sweden. The evocative photographs, all specially taken for this book, present in detail the decoration and furnishings of twenty houses and apartments. The text traces the evolution of the Neoclassical style in Sweden, placing it in its wider European context, and explores each of the buildings and its history. Plans, and original drawings by the architects and designers, complete the picture.
These beautiful interiors are of unique value today not only as treasure houses of superb craftsmanship but also as a stimulus to contemporary decorators, and as a reminder that an international language can be spoken in a delightfully personal way.
Show moreThe Royal Palace, Stockholm, home of Sweden's kings; Gripsholm, an island castle; Ovedskloster, "too royal for a commoner"; Sturehof, from Rococo to neoclassicism; Hylinge, an admiral's landfall; Gunnebo, Mr. Hall's ingenious palace; Haga, Gustaf III's Trianon; Tullgarn, the summer palace of Prince Frederik Adolf; Princess Sophia Albertina's Palace, the Foreign Ministry's royal quarters, Stockholm; Bernshammer, profit, patronage and nobility; Ostana, antiquarian treasures on the Baltic shore; the Masreliez Rooms, Stockholm, hidden luxury in the old town; Rosersberg, Carl's country retreat as prince and king; Sperlingsholm, "outside, a fatherland. Inside, a friend"; Elghammer, a Russian house in Sweden; Skottorp, the Commercial Counsellor's Empire; the Hazelius House, Stockholm, a Biedermeier home; Hogsjogard, serious simplicity; Rosendal, French seed on Swedish soil; family tree of the Holstein-Gottorp and Bernadotte dynasties; catalogue of furniture types and styles; the architects, artists and craftsmen.
An exploration of Swedish furniture and interiors, from royal salons with exquisite Pompeian ornament to modest splatter-painted Biedermeier halls
Fritz von der Schulenburg is an internationally renowned
photographer, who has contributed to numerous magazines including
House & Garden, The World of Interiors, Vogue and Architectural
Digest, published several books and photographed many of the
world's most beautiful interiors.
Hakan Groth is a founder-partner of Rupert Cavendish Antiques,
specialists in Empire and Biedermeier furniture.
'A book of sumptuous beauty' - Homes & Gardens
'Beautifully conceived … superbly illustrated' - Journal of Design
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