The Gustavian age

Gustav III made Stockholm a cultural centre under the sign of antiquity.

Gustav III loved theatre, opera and art. He founded the Swedish Academy and the Royal Swedish Opera and bought ancient sculptures in Rome – the collection became the foundation of the Nationalmuseum.

Johan Tobias Sergel returned home from Rome and became the king’s sculptor. Louis Masreliez shaped the Gustavian interior style with classical ornament, and Elias Martin painted Swedish landscapes and views of Stockholm.

Pehr Hilleström painted interiors of homes, palaces and ironworks, and his pictures offer a unique insight into how people lived. The assassination of Gustav III in 1792 brought the Gustavian golden age to an end.