Timeline – from the 1500s to the present day 16th Century In the 1500s, Europe saw a rise of central states with a strong royal power. Gustav Vasa was elected king of Sweden in 1523. He strengthened his power further by cutting the ties with the Catholic Church, joining Sweden to the Protestant faith, and introducing a hereditary monarchy. For Gustav Vasa, and for other Renaissance rulers, magnificent state rooms at the royal palaces were important. Contemporary art, such as portraits and woven tapestries, legitimized the ruling family. Gustav Vasa’s sons had high ambitions regarding art and architecture. But influences didn’t reach Sweden from the main areas of the Renaissance, on the Italian peninsula, but from northern Europe. However, a significant part of the Renaissance art in the museum’s collections came to Sweden as war-loots during the 1600s. 17th Century This period is usually called the Baroque. The word Baroque can also be used to describe an artistic style, with dynamic compositions, strong emotions and a direct appeal to the senses. The style originated in Catholic Europe but spread to Protestant areas and throughout the world. One of the purposes of art was to persuade, to argue for the right faith or for a prince’s claim to power and glory. Silver and precious textiles spoke convincingly about the owner’s position. With realistic images of Jesus, Mary and the saints, the artists wished to remind the viewer of their humanity and make them imagine their suffering. This hall shows art related to the cultural cities of Rome, Antwerp, Paris and Amsterdam. Artists travelled there, as well as to nearby areas, to be educated, and for commissions and inspiration. 2 1720-1770 Interior decoration of a new royal palace in Stockholm became a bravado display of French Rococo, but also a hothouse for local artists and craftsmen. The result was a flowering of porcelain manufacturing and silversmithing. For the acquisition of movables such as paintings, however, France was pre-eminent. Carl Gustaf Tessin, who was in charge, also made private art purchases in France, eventually precipitating his financial ruin. Fredrik I bought his collection of paintings, which later became state property. By mid-century, artistic development in Sweden had reached such heights that the country re- exported several significant artists, including the three court painters Carl Gustaf Pilo (Copenhagen), Martin van Meytens the Younger (Vienna), and Alexander Roslin (Paris). 1770–1800 Johan Tobias Sergel’s eleven years in Rome, from 1767, mark a shift in Swedish art from Rococo to Neoclassicism. Internationally as well, his sculptures are among the era’s highlights. Other Swedes followed his lead, but it was not until Gustav III’s 1783-1784 Italian tour that Neoclassicism became established here. He acquired works by leading artists and hired Louis Jean Desprez, a Frenchman. In arts and crafts, the king’s encounter with ancient art brought a shift in interior decoration tastes. British influence was represented by Elias Martin in landscape painting and Carl Fredrik von Breda in portraiture. But it was not until the 20th century that British 18th-century paintings were acquired by Nationalmuseum, along with works by that century’s greatest painter, Francisco Goya of Spain. 1800–1870 The French revolution changed European art after 1800. Both crafts and visual arts were politicized, while classicism continued to dominate. It soon received competition from a romantic painting style, and later by an idealization of the countryside. In the wake of the destruction of older environments as a result of the revolution, romanticism of history and new styles emerged. The German infatuation with the Middle Ages was, in turn, a reaction to Napoleon’s occupation, while Gothicism in Sweden arose from liberalism’s dream of political freedom. The emphasis on feelings contrasted against the revolutionary cult of reason. The answer was a romantic landscape painting and the depiction of bourgeois interiors. Sculpture art also experienced a boost with a series of public monuments. 3 Heading for the industrial age Imagine you are a visitor at one of the 19th century’s great art and industry exhibitions. In a spectacular hall of glass and iron you wander around among awe-inspiring artistic and technological innovations. They are created by artists and manufacturers competing for attention, awards and customers. Fairs and department stores were new – the result of technical progress and industrialisation. Fewer people were needed in agriculture. Many instead sought to make a living in cities and industries. The upshot was social and cultural changes, and a new economy in which more people did paid work and were able to consume. The china industry was particularly successful. It proudly marketed modern goods, but continued to feature historical models and styles in order to appeal to conservative and unaccustomed buyers. 1870–1910 The way we today experience consumer society and spectacle has its roots in the cosmopolitan culture of the late 19th century. Parallel currents existed side by side, there was not just one single art style or direction. In the 1870s and 1880s, artists moved between idealism and realism. The Nordic artists, designers and art consumers participated actively in the contemporary European art scene. Many lived in artist’s colonies in the countryside, searching for values that were lost because of industrialization. Others were fascinated by modern city life, with department stores and cafes. Japanese art and consumer goods had a strong influence. Sooner or later, most artists came to Paris because they wanted to exhibit at the annual Salon. Getting works accepted here was important for promoting your own brand. 4 The Turn of the 20th Century When the concept of the national state was established in the mid19th century it became important to establish a national culture and history. In the 1890s the National Romantic artists were able to formulate and record the works we currently see as typically Swedish. It was mainly about portraying a quiet and melancholy landscape: a birch grove in spring with hepatica, distant blue forests, summer nights in the archipelago, and red cottages. At the same time, the philosopher and pedagogue Ellen Key sought to upgrade everyday life and to create a world that was more caring and relationship-centred. Critique against consumption and mass production of home furnishing items increased. Instead, craftsmanship and peasant traditions were emphasized, mixing new design with older styles. 1920–1965 Art and design from the period shown here can be divided into the eras before and after the Second World War. Before the war, when art and design is mainly for people of substantial means but a vision of a more equal society was forming, in which beauty in everyday life would be available to all. And after the war, when art and design, along with society as a whole became democratised, would reflect a growing diversity. 1960–1970 Design liberation The 1960s was a period of economic growth in Western Europe with increased trade, improved communications, higher real wages, mass production and mass consumption, and women entered the work force. Collective solutions began to be questioned, and at the same time there was an awareness that different people had a variety of needs. The individual became more important in the social debate, not least in the role as consumer. Artists and designers sought new expressions that broke with traditions. Pop – pop art, pop music, pop culture – demonstrated a more liberal approach to things and to life. Chipboard furniture, inflatable armchairs, randomly sandcast glass, colourful plastic plates and textile art with loose hanging threads, were all expressions of freedom from the prevailing norms. 5 1970–2000 Design as Art Due to cuts in the Swedish industry many artists and designers started their own glass works, and ceramics and textile studios in the 1970s. The border between design and fine art became blur. Postmodern artists and designers encouraged visual effects, shapes and colours over practical use and low prices. Combinations of materials and patterns, which before had not been considered fitting, now became attractive provocations. During the 1990s, design became a strategic tool for creating brands. Designers should not just develop new products or services, they would contribute to a company’s or organization’s visual appearance and credibility, that is, its intangible values. The designers, who were exposed in the marketing, received status as international stars. Contemporary Design Since the turn of the century in 2000, the designfield has evolved in relation to globalization, digitizing and humanity’s need to create a more sustainable development. The Swedish government proclaimed 2005 as an official year of design. The aim was to increase interest in design, not least its ability to create competitive advantages for companies in both the production and service sectors. In 2007, the US presidential candidate Al Gore discussed global warming in his film An Inconvenient Truth. Since then, the interest in handicrafts, locally produced, and small-scale production, has grown significantly. Even the unique arts and crafts have gained more attention and the previously sharp boundary between crafts and free art has become less obvious. 6 The Treasury For the first time, we are exhibiting a selection of the museum’s objects of vertu, such as portrait miniatures, together with jewellery and other accessories, among them boxes and pocket watches. The exhibition does not focus mainly on materials and techniques but on artistic design from 1650 up until the present day. The historical and social contexts are intimately linked with design. The collections of jewellery range from past eras until the present, even though focus is placed on what is modern and contemporary. The museum’s collection of more than 5,200 miniatures is exceptional, the largest in the world.