Rediscovered Masterpiece and Nordic Art Treasures at Stockholm’s Nationalmuseum
Creatrip Team
4 months ago
A Korean art reporter visits Stockholm’s Nationalmuseum, one of Europe’s oldest art institutions, and highlights major works and exhibitions. The museum houses 16,000 works spanning 1500–1900 and applied arts to modern design. Carl Larsson’s controversial 1915 mural Midvinterblot (The Sacrifice in Midwinter) depicts an ancient king offering himself as a human sacrifice; rejected for 82 years because of its nudity and ritual subject, it was sold abroad and finally returned to Sweden in 1997, now read as a tale of leadership and self-sacrifice. The museum also features northern favorites: Carel Fabritius’s sensitive A Young Student at His Desk, Alexander Roslin’s popular The Lady with the Veil (a playful, rare smiling portrait), and extensive works by Carl Larsson showcasing his “IKEA-style” domestic scenes. A major retrospective of Hanna Hirsch-Pauli, long underappreciated and called “the most famous unknown” of Nordic modernism, presents 130 works across 60 years, exploring themes of family, women’s roles, Jewish identity, and social issues. Visitors can also enjoy Dutch 17th-century paintings and national romantic works that reflect Scandinavia’s historical struggles and identity.
