Gustaf Lundberg

Gustaf Lundberg, self-portrait (copy by Jacob Björck)

Gustaf Lundberg (Stockholm 17 August 1695 - Stockholm 18 March 1786) was a Swedish rococo pastelist and portrait painter, working in Paris and later in Stockholm.

Biography

Lundberg was born in Stockholm 17 August 1695, son of royal chef Gustaf Lundberg and his wife Sabina Richter, whose family included successful artists and goldsmiths. Orphaned at an early age, he was raised by his uncle, Fredrik Richter, who was himself a goldsmith. Lundberg was later apprenticed to the painter David von Krafft in 1712.

In 1717, Lundberg traveled to Paris, where he studied with Hyacinthe Rigaud, Nicolas de Largillière and Jean François de Troy. The determining influence was the Venetian painter Rosalba Carriera, who lived in Paris from 1720 to 1721, during which time Lundberg studied under her. Afterwards, Lundberg established himself as one of the leading portrait painters in Paris. He painted Louis XV and his Queen Maria Leszczyńska, and the Queen's parents, deposed King Stanisław Leszczyński and his spouse, and gave Stanislaus pastel painting lessons. He portrayed many of the Swedes visiting Paris, and befriended Count Carl Gustaf Tessin — Swedish ambassador, art collector and member of the famous family of architects, who let him stay in his palace. In addition to his many portraits of French and Swedish aristocracy, he is known for his paintings of colleagues Charles-Joseph Natoire and François Boucher.

In 1741, Lundberg was elected a member of the Académie royale de peinture et de sculpture or Royal Academy of Painting and Sculpture. But his popularity started to wane soon after, a result of new pastelists representing a more realistic style than his. During 1745 he traveled through Spain and Portugal, stopping in Madrid to paint Louis XV's daughter Louise-Élisabeth, who was married to Philip, the son of King Philip V. Traveling via Cadiz and Lisbon, he returned to Sweden by boat in the autumn. An already successful artist, he quickly established himself as the leading rococo painter in Sweden. Thanks to his friendship with Tessin, he was soon introduced at the Royal Court. In Sweden, Lundberg's light and elegant style was a break from the Baroque style of portraiture that had previously predominated. In 1750, he was appointed court portrait painter or hovkonterfejare. He painted many portraits of the Crown Prince, later King Gustav III. Towards the end of his career, he painted a portrait of the young Crown Prince Gustav Adolf in 1779.

References and sources

References
  1. ↑ 136x104 cm. Sold by Nordén Auktioner 11 May 1992 for 60.000 SEK
Sources
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