Art at Djurgården
19/03/2024Art has always had a natural place at Royal Djurgården. Art is everywhere. Venture out into nature and you’ll find monuments and sculptures. There is always something new to discover. For example, year after year, an exciting new piece is added to Princess Estelle’s Sculpture Park.
Every museum houses art, but here you’ll also find beloved art museums.
Photo: Urban Jörén, the grand Munch room at Thiel Gallery.
Thiel Gallery
At the very end of Djurgården at Blockhusudden you’ll find the beautiful art museum Thiel Gallery, created for banker Ernest Thiel and his wife Signe Maria Thiel’s outstanding art collection. The building was completed in 1907 and is beautifully situated in a park surrounded by walls. The architect behind this masterpiece was Ferdinand Boberg.
The museum’s magnificent collection primarily consists of works by Nordic artists from the turn of the last century, such as Bruno Liljefors, Edvard Munch, Eugène Jansson, Carl Larsson, August Strindberg, and Anders Zorn. But it also includes works by European masters like Paul Gauguin and Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec.
According to Ernest Thiel’s vision, the museum’s upper floor was designed with two large halls whose walls would be adorned with artworks, while also serving as a dining room and salon. Later, an extension was added on the upper floor, called the grand Munch room. Two rooms on this floor are named after Thiel’s friends, Carl Larsson and Hjalmar Söderberg. At the top of the house in the tower room, there are two rooms displaying Nietzsche’s death mask and prints, as well as works by Edvard Munch.
After the Second World War, Ernest Thiel lost almost his entire fortune, and in 1924, the state purchased the palace with its furnishings and art collection. The following year, in 1925, the palace became a museum and has been open to the public ever since.
On the ground floor, various temporary exhibitions are presented, and in the old superintendent’s residence, the food creator Monika Ahlberg and her café are now located. Don’t miss the lush park with sculptures and beautiful views of the surroundings when you’re there.
Prins Eugen’s Waldemarsudde
Prins Eugen’s Waldemarsudde, originally Prince Eugen’s residence, is now one of Sweden’s most popular art museums. The museum offers a rich variety of exhibitions and programs year-round, including Prince Eugen’s own works, collections, and temporary exhibitions.
The main building, “The Castle,” and the gallery building were designed by architect Ferdinand Boberg in collaboration with Prince Eugen. The prince, son of King Oscar II and Queen Sophia, was a prominent landscape painter and art collector.
On the ground floor of the Mansion, you can visit the common areas of Prince Eugen’s home, which are preserved as they were in his time. The upper floors of the building and the Gallery show work from the collection and temporary exhibitions. These exhibitions include works by both contemporary artists and artists who were contemporaries of Prince Eugen. The park and garden feature sculptures by artists such as Carl Milles and historic buildings like the Linseed Oil Mill, from 1785.
Through Prince Eugen’s will, Waldemarsudde was bequeathed to the Swedish state in 1947 and is now managed by a special board. The museum’s mission is to preserve the facilities and collections and make them accessible to visitors, in line with the prince’s desire for a vibrant operation that promotes art and culture.
Liljevalchs
Liljevalchs offers one of Stockholm’s most enchanting exhibition environments and presents art and design in several major exhibitions each year. The program caters to a wide audience as well as those with a specific interest in various artistic expressions.
At Liljevalchs, each new art year begins with the popular exhibition “Spring Salon” which is juried and well-known. In 2021, the extension Liljevalchs+ was completed, allowing for more exhibitions per year and making art accessible to a larger audience. This expansion ensures that Liljevalchs can continue to be an important art venue and provide art experiences for another 100 years.
Konsthall 16
Konsthall 16 is an exciting collaboration between Tore A Jonasson Foundation and the National Sports Museum. This unique art gallery combines art and sports, showcasing temporary exhibitions of contemporary art as well as a selection of works from Tore A Jonasson’s collection. Each year, the gallery also acquires sports-related art and awards scholarships to artists and sports professionals.
You can find Konsthall 16 at the National Sports Museum in the Museum Park here at Djurgården.
Spritmuseum
By the beautiful Djurgårdsstrand here at Djurgården, you’ll find, among other things, Spritmuseum. A museum dedicated to Swedish drinking culture. The museum houses three exhibition spaces. In one of them, you’ll find the permanent exhibition “Sweden: Spirit of a nation” – an interactive exhibition, focusing on the Swedes’ bittersweet relationship to alcohol. The exhibition is designed as a walk through the seasons of the year, given shape through sceneries, scents, tastes and music.
The second exhibition space showcases cultural-historical exhibitions, featuring displays on subjects like Champagne and the comic character Rocky. In the third area is the museum’s art gallery, dedicated to the Absolut Art Collection, which has been housed at the museum since 2008. Here, two exhibitions are presented annually: one thematic exhibition featuring works from the collection, and one solo exhibition featuring an artist from the collection.
Princess Estelle Sculpture Park
The Princess Estelle Cultural Foundation was founded in autumn 2019 on the initiative of Crown Princess Victoria and Prince Daniel.
The purpose of the foundation is to make cultural available for everyone and to establish a permanent sculpture park in the Rosendal area here at Royal Djurgården. Each year, a new artistic creation is introduced.
This year, in 2024, the fifth artwork The Inner Flow of Life by Giuseppe Penone will be inaugurated in the sculpture park, which will be included in a permanent collection already consisting of works by Alice Aycock, Elmgreen & Dragset, Yinka Shonibare CBE and Charlotte Gyllenhammar. The foundation’s goal is to make contemporary art accessible and they work to arouse interest and curiosity, as well as spread knowledge about art.
Every summer, Princess Estelle’s Cultural Foundation offers guided tours in the sculpture park at 1 pm. The tours are held daily and run from June 1st to September. The tours are free of charge.
Konsthallen
Art combined with fantastic food – it doesn’t get much better than that! Right across from Gröna Lund, you’ll find Konsthallen, which is not only a restaurant and café but also a shop. Here at Konsthallen, they work with a unique exhibition concept called “Current Forms,” where their curator and art coordinator, Slobodan Zivic, gathers contemporary artists. Under Zivic’s guidance, collaborations are formed between artists with different backgrounds and specialties, resulting in an exciting mix of painting, graphics, photography, sculpture and digital works.
Djurgården Church (Djurgårdskyrkan)
Here at Royal Djurgården, you’ll find a charming white wooden church, beautifully situated between Gröna Lund and Skansen. Djurgården Church is a part of the Oscar parish, is the oldest church in the parish and was built in 1828 by shipowner John Burgman. Originally used as a school and later as a cholera hospital, since 1880 it has served as a place for services and other activities organized by the parish.
For art lovers, Djurgården Church offers a rich experience through temporary art exhibitions with everything from paintings to photographs and textile art. A special highlight is the beautiful altarpiece, a generous gift from Prince Eugen and painted by the prince himself.
