The Sun Dog Painting
The oldest picture of Stockholm shows a strange halo phenomenon with several suns over the city on 20 April 1535. The original was probably commissioned by the reformer Olaus Petri and has been lost; the copy hangs in Stockholm Cathedral.
Beneath the rings of the suns lies the city between its bridges, with church towers and densely built houses – a map and an omen at the same time.
On the morning of 20 April 1535 the inhabitants of Stockholm saw a strange phenomenon in the sky. Several suns and rings were visible around the real sun for a few hours. Today we know it was a halo phenomenon, which occurs when sunlight is refracted by ice crystals high in the air. At the time such things were often interpreted as an omen, a message from God. The phenomenon is now known as sun dogs or parhelia, and similar displays are sometimes seen in Sweden in winter.
The original painting was made shortly after the event. It was probably commissioned by the reformer Olaus Petri, who was a priest at Stockholm Cathedral. Who painted it is not known for certain. A painter called Urban is sometimes mentioned, but this is uncertain. The original has been lost. Olaus Petri was one of the leading figures of the Swedish Reformation and had translated parts of the Bible into Swedish.
The painting that hangs in Stockholm Cathedral today is a copy from 1636, usually attributed to Jacob Heinrich Elbfas. Examination of the wood has confirmed that it dates from the 17th century. How faithfully the copy reproduces the original is debated, but it is considered fairly accurate. The painting itself is in oil on panel.
The upper part of the picture shows the sky with the suns and the curved arcs of light. Below them Stockholm spreads out, seen from the south. You can see Stadsholmen surrounded by a wall, the Tre Kronor castle and the tower of the cathedral. The houses stand close together, and bridges lead across to Norrmalm and Södermalm. Ships and small boats glide on the water. People walk along the streets and shores. The city is depicted as a great whole, almost like a map seen obliquely from above.
It is the oldest known picture of Stockholm in colour. It is therefore an important source for how the city looked in the 1530s. The details should nevertheless be interpreted with caution, since the painter combined observation with a certain freedom. It shows, for example, how densely built-up the city was within its walls and how important the water was for traffic and trade.
Olaus Petri preached about omens and warned of God’s punishment. The painting has been interpreted as a warning to King Gustav Vasa, with whom Olaus Petri later came into conflict. In 1540 Olaus Petri was sentenced to death for concealing a conspiracy against the king, but he was pardoned. Whether the painting played any part in the conflict is disputed.
The Sun Dog Painting was restored at the end of the 1990s. It is often reproduced in books on the history of Stockholm and Sweden and has become a symbol of the city. It is an early example of how a picture can be a map, a news image and a religious message all at once.