Artwork

Allegori över konung Karl XI:s och drottning Ulrika Eleonoras förmälning

Allegori över konung Karl XI:s och drottning Ulrika Eleonoras förmälning is an oil painting by the French Classical Baroque artist David Klöcker Ehrenstrahl. It dates from 1696 and is held in the collection of the Nationalmuseum.

About this work

Overview

Allegori över konung Karl XI:s och drottning Ulrika Eleonoras förmälning is a 1696 oil painting by David Klöcker Ehrenstrahl, commemorating the marriage of Charles XI of Sweden and Ulrika Eleonora of Denmark.

Subject & Meaning

Figures suspended in air amidst clouds, winged babies (putti), and a woman with a palm branch (likely symbolizing peace or virtue) convey joy and celebration.

The painting symbolically depicts the royal union through a lively, allegorical scene. Figures suspended in air amidst clouds, winged babies (putti), and a woman with a palm branch (likely symbolizing peace or virtue) convey joy and celebration. The falling royal couple in colorful robes, accompanied by a lion (emblem of Sweden) and a child, embodies the marriage's significance and hoped-for progeny.

Technique & Style

Executed in muted browns and grays, the painting's subdued color palette contrasts with its dynamic composition, emphasizing movement and energy. Ehrenstrahl's Baroque style is evident in the dramatic, airy scene and the interplay of light and shadow.

History & Provenance

Created in 1696 for the Swedish royal court, the painting is now part of the collection at the Nationalmuseum in Stockholm, Sweden.

Context

Commissioned to celebrate the strategic marriage between Charles XI and Ulrika Eleonora, the work reflects the political and diplomatic alliances of 17th-century European monarchies, as well as the artistic preferences of the Swedish court during the Baroque period.

Legacy

While not widely known internationally, the painting remains significant within Swedish art history as a representation of the country's royal heritage and 17th-century artistic patronage.