Gustav III of Sweden - Stockholm
Posted by: 
tigwash
N 59° 19.610 E 018° 04.529
34V E 333609 N 6580099
King Gustav III on Skeppsbron in Gamla Stan, Stockholm.
Waymark Code: WM41Y9
Location: Sweden
Date Posted: 06/25/2008
Views: 133
King Gustav III commissioned this sculpture himself. It presents the triumphal monarch stepping ashore at the exact place he actually disembarked after the Russian war 1788-90.
Sergel was inspired by the antique marble sculpture Apollo di Belvedere. His own description of the work was that it "is in movement, holding a helm in one hand, while offering an olive branch signifying peace with the other. He wears a navy uniform with a large cape fastened at the left shoulder."
Gustav II (1746 –1792) was King of Sweden from 1771 until his death. He was the eldest son of King Adolf Frederick of Sweden and Louisa Ulrika of Prussia, sister of Frederick the Great.
As he opposed the parliamentarian reforms that had been worked out before his reign, in the Age of Liberty, and as he spent high amounts on things that pleased him, he was controversial. To distract attention from this, he tried to expand Sweden's borders through a war against Russia, but the attempt was unsuccessful. In the end, Gustav was assassinated by a conspiracy of noblemen.
Gustav III was a benefactor of arts and literature. He founded several academies, among them the Swedish Academy, and had the Royal Swedish Opera built.
Monarch Ranking: King / Queen
Proper Title and Name of Monarch: King Gustav III
Country or Empire of Influence: Sweden
Website for additonal information: [Web Link]
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