Artwork
Coronation of Gustav III.
Coronation of Gustav III. is an oil painting by the Rococo painting artist Carl Gustaf Pilo. It is held in the collection of the Nationalmuseum.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
The painting depicts the coronation of King Gustav III of Sweden, set within the ceremonial interior of Storkyrkan, where the monarch is seated on the Silver Throne.
Symbolic elements include the Hereditary Prince Crown of Charles X Gustav and the presence of court figures such as Adam Horn af Ekebyholm, Magnus Beronius, and other members of the royal family, emphasizing dynastic continuity.
Executed in oil on canvas in 1796 by Carl Gustaf Pilo, the work measures 293 cm by 531 cm and belongs to the history-painting genre; it is housed in the Nationalmuseum, Stockholm, and was shown in several exhibitions including Fem stora gustavianer (1943).
Technique & Style
Created in 1796, the work employs oil paint on canvas, a medium typical of late-18th-century Swedish academic art.
Coronation of Gustav III is an oil-on-canvas history painting measuring approximately 293 cm by 531 cm. Created in 1796, the work employs oil paint on canvas, a medium typical of late-18th-century Swedish academic art. The composition depicts the coronation ceremony in Storkyrkan, arranging the figures in a formal, narrative manner characteristic of history painting of the period. The painting belongs to the Nationalmuseum collection and has appeared in several museum exhibitions. Its large scale and detailed rendering emphasize the ceremonial gravitas of the event.
History & Provenance
The painting was created in 1796 by Carl Gustaf Pilo as an oil on canvas history painting depicting the coronation of Gustav III; it measures 293 x 531 cm. The work entered the Nationalmuseum collection, where it is recorded under accession number NM 1460, and has been shown in the exhibitions Fem stora gustavianer (1943), Masterverk i Nationalmusei samlingar, Gustav III i samtida konst, and Gustaf III. It remains on display at the Nationalmuseum in Stockholm.
Legacy
The painting, created by Carl Gustaf Pilo in 1796, entered the Nationalmuseum collection and has been featured in multiple exhibitions that highlight its significance within Swedish art history.
Its depiction of the coronation of Gustav III in Storkyrkan, with detailed regalia and surrounding figures, has been cited as a key example of late 18th-century Swedish history painting and continues to inform scholarship on the period.
The work's inclusion in shows such as Fem stora gustavianer (1943) and Gustav III i samtida konst underscores its enduring reputation as an emblem of royal ceremony and national identity.
Overview
Carl Gustaf Pilo's Coronation of Gustav III, completed in 1796, is a large oil painting depicting an 18th-century Swedish coronation ceremony. Rendered in the Rococo style, this history painting captures the grandeur and detail of the event, with the king and queen prominently featured amidst a large, formally dressed crowd. The artwork is a significant piece by the Swedish artist and is held in the collection of the Nationalmuseum.
Artist & collection
Artist
Carl Gustaf Pilo (5 March 1711 – 2 March 1793) was a Swedish painter. Pilo worked extensively in Denmark as a painter to the Danish Royal Court and as professor and director at the Royal Danish Academy of Art (Danish:…
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