Where can I see Ulrik (1684-1685), prins av Sverige, allegori över hans död?

Ulrik (1684-1685), prins av Sverige, allegori över hans död is held by Nationalmuseum.

Artwork

Ulrik (1684-1685), prins av Sverige, allegori över hans död

Ulrik (1684-1685), prins av Sverige, allegori över hans död is an oil painting by Unknown. It is held in the collection of the Nationalmuseum.

About this work

Overview

The oil painting titled *Ulrik (1684‑1685), prins av Sverige, allegori över hans död* portrays a solemn tableau of cherubic figures gathered around a young, white‑clad child. The child lies still, his posture suggesting sleep or death, while the surrounding putti adopt mournful gestures, creating a contemplative atmosphere of loss.

Subject & Meaning

The work serves as an allegorical commemoration of Prince Ulrik of Sweden, who died in 1684‑85. The cherubs function as symbolic witnesses to his passing, their varied gazes—some directed toward the child, others upward—evoking reverence and the transcendence of the soul beyond earthly existence.

Technique & Style

Executed in oil on canvas, the artist contrasts a dark, almost void-like background with the luminous flesh tones of the cherubs and the child's white garments. This chiaroscuro treatment heightens the emotional impact, while the delicate rendering of the putti’s wings and drapery reflects a late‑Baroque sensibility.

Context

Allegorical death scenes featuring putti were common in Northern European courtly art of the late seventeenth century, often employed to convey dynastic grief and the fragility of succession. The painting aligns with this tradition, using idealized infant figures to soften the stark reality of royal mortality.