Photos from the Instagram of Håkan Groth, antique dealer, writer, photographer and author of Neoclassicism in the North.
Queen Josephine of Sweden not only collected the portraits of the monarchs of Europe for the Hall of State, she also created the Queens Room with portraits of the wives of the rulers in the adjacent room.
Above the sofa is a portrait of Queen Josephine (top) by Sophie Adlersparre (who had painted the portrait of Pope Pius IX next door), Empress Eugénie of France (below), Queen Elisabeth of Prussia (her aunt, to the left), and Empress Elisabeth (Sisi) of Austria (to the right).
The portraits of the reigning queens Victoria of Great Britain and Isabella of Spain’s hang in the Hall of State, but there was no space for their consorts, Prince Albert and Prince Francisco.
The room itself had no particular decor and a light coloured floral silk damask was hung on the walls. In the 1890s Oscar II removed the Gustavian doors and overdoors by Jean Baptist Masreliez from what had been Gustaf III’s games room, as he was re-decorating it to be become the Oscar Hall (no. 3 on the plan), and installed them here.
The present green fabric (from the French firm Lelièvre) on walls and Gustavian furniture dates from 1974 when the room was restored for the occasion of Princess Christina’s marriage that was celebrated with a dinner and dance here at Drottningholm.
In here we can now find Queen Lovisa Ulrica’s desk by Georg Haupt made in 1771.
https://www.instagram.com/p/CEEBUD3JQpm/
In the Yellow Salon, which served as an Anteroom, hang three tapestries from Brussels, woven 1650-1660s.
The tapestry in the second photo is symbolising ‘The Day’, with the sun god Apollo, woven in the workshop of Guillaume Van Leefdael (active 1656-84).
https://www.instagram.com/p/CEGKtbEJyB-/
A tapestry, woven 1650-1660s in Hendrik I Reydams (active 1640-69) workshop in Brussels, titled ‘The Four Elements and Time’. From left, Neptune (Water), Juno (Air), Jupiter (Fire), and Pluto (Earth). Saturn (Time) is seen in the centre.
https://www.instagram.com/p/CEGLkqTpf8j/
The Generals Hall at Drottningholm is devoted to the memory of the great warrior king, Carl XII (1682-1718) and his generals.
It was his sister Queen Ulrica Eleonora the Younger who had collected the portraits painted by David von Krafft that in the 1740s was hung in here. The king’s portrait hangs between the windows where it’s hardly visible. There are also three battle scenes in here.
Oscar II commissioned the palace architect Agi Lindegren to decorate the room in a Baroque style suitable for the portraits. The panelling was painted dark blue with gilt decorations.
Gustaf V (1858-1950), who was born at Drottningholm and died here, used to celebrate Christmas in this room. The room was then decorated with Christmas trees and had separate tables set up for each member of the royal family where their presents were displayed unwrapped.
The room is presently undergoing a restoration and I sincerely hope they will replace the worn and ugly fabric on the chairs with something more appropriate!
None of the public rooms at Drottningholm has any proper curtains (which they used to have), only simple white ones for protection, such a shame as textiles were always such an important part of an interior.
https://www.instagram.com/p/CEH8T7hJpMP/
The Swedish small coat of arms with the three crowns adorns the frames of the battle scenes in the Generals Hall. They must have been designed by the architect Carl Hårleman (d. 1753) who favoured using dragon wings in his designs.
https://www.instagram.com/p/CEH8yA0pCmh/
The ceiling in the Generals Hall is adorned with a 17th century painting that Oscar II has bought from the country house Sjöö and put up in here.
It is painted with a motif from the saga of Ragnar Lodbrok (or Lothbrok), a legendary Viking hero, born c 795 in Denmark or Sweden, and who died in England or Denmark in 845 or 865.
https://www.instagram.com/p/CEH96rYJagX/
The window wall in the Generals Hall has painted decorations designed in the Baroque style by the architect Agi Lindegren from the 1890s. It is just possible to see the portrait of Carl XII by David von Krafft between the windows.
https://www.instagram.com/p/CEJKiHIJ1ZZ/
The Oscar Hall was redecorated in 1897 for Oscar II (the year of his silver jubilee as monarch) by the palace architect Agi Lindegren. The Gustavian decor by Jean Baptist Masreliez was removed and replaced by a new decor in Baroque style as a frame for a suite of English tapestries woven in Mortlake, London, in the 1630s. They had been commissioned by King Charles I of England and bears the king’s coat of arms. They were most likely sold by Cromwell (who closed the factory after the fall of Charles I) during the Commonwealth and acquired by the Swede, Count Johan Oxenstierna, who presented them as a wedding present to Charles X Gustaf in 1654. It is said to be the most valuable gift ever presented to a Swedish king by one of his subjects.
The motif is that of the mythological Greek love story of Hero and Leander.
The room was much more lavishly furnished originally with oriental carpets, Baroque period armchairs and a set of Baroque style armchairs made for the Swedish Pavilion at the World Fair in Chicago in 1893. The room is also furnished with Baroque period Boulle furniture.
https://www.instagram.com/p/CEOnfnTJuui/
Agi Lindegren designed the imposing decoration with the Swedish coat of arms above the fireplace. It is in fact copied from an original in a room on the floor below.
The Mortlake tapestries were restored after found in storage in a poor condition. Some pieces were missing which explains that a strip on the tapestry to the left is actually painted. Oscar II had managed to buy back one of the tapestries at an auction in Hamburg and this is what prompted the king to have this room designed to as a suitable background for these rare and fine tapestries.
https://www.instagram.com/p/CEOoF0KpH-F/
The ’Porcelain Kitchen’ (Porslinsköket) was designed by the palace architect Agi Lindegren in the 1890s to house Oscar II’s collection of fine Swedish 18th century faience manufactured by Rörstrand and Marieberg factories.
The collection was dispersed during the 19th century and the room became a store room, but in 1998 the room was restored and the collection brought back.
https://www.instagram.com/p/CEPNg8JpDBx/
This the plan of the central block of the ground floor at Drottningholm Palace. Visitors enter from the side that faces the Lake Mälaren, through the open loggia into the staircase.
https://www.instagram.com/p/CEP7fC0py17/