Johan Gustaf Sandberg
Encyclopedia
Johan Gustaf Sandberg was a Swedish painter from Stockholm
. He was foremost a history painter and used settings from Norse mythology
and Swedish history. His most widely known work in this area are his frescoes in Uppsala Cathedral
that depict the Swedish king Gustav Vasa. In addition to his history paintings, Sandberg painted a number of portraits.
Sandberg became a student at the Royal Swedish Academy of Arts
's preparatory school (Swedish: Konstakademiens principskola) in 1794. After completing his studies there, he moved on to the Academy's antikskola (in which students learned to paint sculptures from ancient history
) in 1801. At the same time, Sandberg studied music and learned to play keyboard instrument
s. He earned money by giving music lessons and by working in the Academy's decoration workshop.
At the Academy in 1808 and 1809, Sandberg competed and won several medals for his history paintings Diana och Endymion and Karl XII och hans sekreterare i Stralsund. It was during these years that he also began experimenting with mythological themes, animal paintings, and portraits. In the time that followed, Sandberg made several more oil paintings that gained him recognition at various shows. He became a ledamot at the Academy in 1821, and an ordinary professor in 1829.
Sandberg served as the director of the Academy from 1845 to 1853. He died on 26 June 1854 in Stockholm. Many of his paintings are located in the National Museum of Fine Arts.
Stockholm
Stockholm is the capital and the largest city of Sweden and constitutes the most populated urban area in Scandinavia. Stockholm is the most populous city in Sweden, with a population of 851,155 in the municipality , 1.37 million in the urban area , and around 2.1 million in the metropolitan area...
. He was foremost a history painter and used settings from Norse mythology
Norse mythology
Norse mythology, a subset of Germanic mythology, is the overall term for the myths, legends and beliefs about supernatural beings of Norse pagans. It flourished prior to the Christianization of Scandinavia, during the Early Middle Ages, and passed into Nordic folklore, with some aspects surviving...
and Swedish history. His most widely known work in this area are his frescoes in Uppsala Cathedral
Uppsala Cathedral
Uppsala Cathedral is a cathedral located centrally in the city of Uppsala, Sweden. It dates back to the late 13th century and at a height of 118.7 m is the tallest church building in Scandinavia. Originally built under Roman Catholicism and used for coronations of the Swedish monarch, since the...
that depict the Swedish king Gustav Vasa. In addition to his history paintings, Sandberg painted a number of portraits.
Sandberg became a student at the Royal Swedish Academy of Arts
Royal Swedish Academy of Arts
The Royal Swedish Academy of Arts or Kungl. Akademien för de fria konsterna, founded in 1773 by King Gustav III, is one of the Royal Academies in Sweden...
's preparatory school (Swedish: Konstakademiens principskola) in 1794. After completing his studies there, he moved on to the Academy's antikskola (in which students learned to paint sculptures from ancient history
Ancient history
Ancient history is the study of the written past from the beginning of recorded human history to the Early Middle Ages. The span of recorded history is roughly 5,000 years, with Cuneiform script, the oldest discovered form of coherent writing, from the protoliterate period around the 30th century BC...
) in 1801. At the same time, Sandberg studied music and learned to play keyboard instrument
Keyboard instrument
A keyboard instrument is a musical instrument which is played using a musical keyboard. The most common of these is the piano. Other widely used keyboard instruments include organs of various types as well as other mechanical, electromechanical and electronic instruments...
s. He earned money by giving music lessons and by working in the Academy's decoration workshop.
At the Academy in 1808 and 1809, Sandberg competed and won several medals for his history paintings Diana och Endymion and Karl XII och hans sekreterare i Stralsund. It was during these years that he also began experimenting with mythological themes, animal paintings, and portraits. In the time that followed, Sandberg made several more oil paintings that gained him recognition at various shows. He became a ledamot at the Academy in 1821, and an ordinary professor in 1829.
Sandberg served as the director of the Academy from 1845 to 1853. He died on 26 June 1854 in Stockholm. Many of his paintings are located in the National Museum of Fine Arts.