Johan Fredrik Höckert
Encyclopedia
Johan Fredrik Höckert was a well-known Swedish artist from Jönköping
known for his colorful, dramatic oil paintings depicting historical events. He is one of the most famous nineteenth-century painters in Sweden, and one of the painters most often associated with Swedish national romanticism.
Höckert studied at the Royal Swedish Academy of Arts
from 1844 to 1845, and at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts in Munich from 1846 to 1849. During the summer of 1850, he traveled throughout Lapland in the northern parts of Sweden. The scenery in this area became the inspiration for many of Höckert's upcoming paintings.
After moving to Paris in 1851, Höckert made his first painting that gained attention from a larger audience, Drottning Kristina och Monaldeschi (English: Queen Christina and Monaldeschi). It was awarded with a mention honorable at the Paris Salon
in 1853. Höckert rose to fame two years later, in 1855, with Gudstjänst i Lövmokks fjällkapell (English: Worship service in Lövmokk's fell chapel). It was put on display at the 1855 World's Fair in Paris
and was later bought by Napoleon III of France
. At this time, Höckert became recognized as one of Sweden's foremost figure painters.
Höckert's success continued and he made several popular paintings during the subsequent years. He was hired as a professor at the Royal Swedish Academy of Arts
in 1864. At this time, Höckert was working on the painting Slottsbranden i Stockholm den 7 maj 1697 (English: Castle fire in Stockholm on 7 Maj 1697), which was displayed at the 1866 Scandinavian art fair in Stockholm. It is today regarded as one of Sweden's foremost paintings. Höckert died soon thereafter, on 16 September 1866, after several years of health issues.
Höckert was born to his parents Gustaf Adolf Höckert and Sofia Elisabet Melinon on 26 August 1826 in Jönköping, Sweden. He received drawing lessons from teacher J. J. Ringdahl at the age of twelve. Ringdahl suspected already then that the young boy "would never become anything other than an artist". During his school years, Höckert became friends with Swedish painter Johan Christoffer Boklund
, who he had met by coincidence. This led to Höckert quitting his normal school studies to study at the Royal Swedish Academy of Arts
, where Boklund was a teacher. He studied at the school, which is located in Stockholm, from 1844 to 1845.
During his final year at the Royal Swedish Academy of Arts, Höckert went on a study tour through Sweden, primarily in Jönköping. In 1846, after graduating, Höckert traveled with Boklund to Munich
for further studying at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts. For three years he studied there with eagerness, exploring figure painting
and genre works. Höckert's first oil painting, Två banditer, som dela rofvet (English: Two bandits, who shared the booty), was sent to Sweden and offered to Konstförening (English: The Art Association), but they did not buy it.
After completing his studies in Munich in 1849, Höckert returned to Sweden in 1950. During the summer of that year, he traveled extensively throughout Lapland in the northern parts of Sweden. Höckert chose Lapland because he had been inspired by the lively descriptions botanic Nils Johan Andersson
had made about the nature and people there.
ordering her soldiers to kill Gian Rinaldo Monaldeschi
in Fontainebleau
in 1657. The painting was awarded with a mention honorable at the Paris Salon
in 1853. Höckert made a brief visit to Sweden in 1854 to display the painting there. It was praised by many and he was given the honorary title of agré by the Royal Swedish Academy of Arts. Höckert was also given a travel scholarship by the Academy and he returned to Paris at the end of 1854.
Although Drottning Kristina och Monaldeschi was popular, Höckert rose to fame in 1855 with his painting Gudstjänst i Lövmokks fjällkapell (English: Worship service in Lövmokk's fell chapel). It was inspired by a sketch Höckert had made while traveling in Lapland, and he thought it would draw attention to itself. The painting was put on display at the 1855 World's Fair in Paris
, and Höckert was awarded with a gold medal for it. French critics characterized it as a piece of French art, commenting that Höckert was most likely influenced by Eugène Delacroix
and Thomas Couture
. The painting was then bought by Napoleon III of France
and was given to the art museum in Lille
. Its current home is the National Museum of Arts in Sweden. At this time, Höckert became recognized as one of Sweden's foremost figure painters.
The inspiration for many of the paintings Höckert painted while living in Paris came from his earlier travels in Lapland, including Gudstjänst i Lövmokks fjällkapell (1855), Scen från Lappmarken (1856), and Det inre af en lappkåta (1857). While painting Gudstjänt i Lövmokks fjällkapell, which depicts a Lappish mother during a worship service in Lövmokk, Höckert hired an Italian woman named Luisiella as his model
. He fell in love with her, but she died in his arms during one of their painting sessions. This later became the inspiration for Höckert's oil sketch
Luisiellas död (English: Luisiella's death).
Höckert traveled to the Netherlands in 1856 to study Rembrandt. He returned to Paris the same year and made another popular painting: Det inre af en lappkåta (English: The inside of a goahti). This painting depicts a Lappish mother wagging her child in their goahti
home. It was awarded with a mention honorable at the Paris Salon in 1857, and was bought by the Swedish government to be displayed at the National Museum of Fine Arts. In 1862, it was displayed at the World's Fair in London
.
in Lapland, in a different style than he was used to. It featured brighter tones than his previous paintings, and depicted a more open landscape. Brudfärd på Hornavan was completed in 1858.
Höckert began traveling through Dalarna
later in 1958 to further his studies. While traveling in this part of Sweden, Höckert used the scenery around him as inspiration for his paintings, including Gustav Vasa och Tomt Margit, which is now displayed at Utmelandsmonumentet in Mora, Dalarna. Other paintings set in Dalarna include: Kulla med psalmbok (1859–60), Höskörd vid Siljan, Rättvikskulla vid spiseln (1862), and Gudmors besök (1865).
as a commissioner at the Swedish art section. Höckert returned to Sweden in 1862, was hired as an art director at the Royal Swedish Opera
in Stockholm in 1863, and became a professor at the Royal Swedish Academy of Arts in 1864. Around this time, he completed the painting Bellman i Sergels atelier. From 1864 to 1865, Höckert also provided illustrations (and political caricatures) for the newly established magazine Ny illustrerad tidning.
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In 1863, Höckert was commissioned by the count of Trolleholm Castle
to paint a large painting (Slottsbranden i Stockholm den 7 maj 1697) depicting the fire that destroyed the castle Tre Kronor
in 1697. The painting was large and time consuming, and Höckert made a break from it while making a trip to Hälsingland
in 1865. During this trip, he made several sketches for paintings that he was planning on doing.
When Höckert returned from his trip, the count of Trolleholm Castle did no longer want the Slottsbranden i Stockholm den 7 maj 1697 painting. As a result, Höckert made a quick effort to get it finished for the 1866 Scandinavian art fair in Stockholm instead. The painting was displayed and, despite its uncompleted state, made a large impression. The judges at the fair awarded Höckert with one of the six gold medals. Slottsbranden i Stockholm den 7 maj 1697 is today regarded as one of Sweden's foremost paintings. The painting was later displayed in Paris and Philadelphia in 1867, before being bought by Höckert's heirs in 1883 and given to its current home at the National Museum of Fine Arts in Sweden.
During the 1860s, Höckert was experiencing health issues. He spent the summer of 1866 in Marstrand
, and while returning home to Stockholm, he had to stop in Gothenburg because of his illness. Höckert passed away in Gothenburg on 16 September 1866. Following his death, he has become one of the most famous nineteenth-century painters in Sweden, and he is one of the painters most often associated with Swedish national romanticism. The authors of Nordisk familjebok
write that Höckert's work has influenced many Swedish artists since then.
Jönköping
-Notable people:*Lillian Asplund, RMS Titanic survivor*John Bauer, illustrator, painter*Amy Diamond, singer*Agnetha Fältskog, ABBA*Carl Henrik Fredriksson, editor-in-chief and co-founder of Eurozine*Anders Gustafsson, kayaker, Olympian...
known for his colorful, dramatic oil paintings depicting historical events. He is one of the most famous nineteenth-century painters in Sweden, and one of the painters most often associated with Swedish national romanticism.
Höckert studied 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...
from 1844 to 1845, and at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts in Munich from 1846 to 1849. During the summer of 1850, he traveled throughout Lapland in the northern parts of Sweden. The scenery in this area became the inspiration for many of Höckert's upcoming paintings.
After moving to Paris in 1851, Höckert made his first painting that gained attention from a larger audience, Drottning Kristina och Monaldeschi (English: Queen Christina and Monaldeschi). It was awarded with a mention honorable at the Paris Salon
Paris Salon
The Salon , or rarely Paris Salon , beginning in 1725 was the official art exhibition of the Académie des Beaux-Arts in Paris, France. Between 1748–1890 it was the greatest annual or biannual art event in the Western world...
in 1853. Höckert rose to fame two years later, in 1855, with Gudstjänst i Lövmokks fjällkapell (English: Worship service in Lövmokk's fell chapel). It was put on display at the 1855 World's Fair in Paris
Exposition Universelle (1855)
The Exposition Universelle of 1855 was an International Exhibition held on the Champs-Elysées in Paris from May 15 to November 15, 1855. Its full official title was the Exposition Universelle des produits de l'Agriculture, de l'Industrie et des Beaux-Arts de Paris 1855.The exposition was a major...
and was later bought by Napoleon III of France
Napoleon III of France
Louis-Napoléon Bonaparte was the President of the French Second Republic and as Napoleon III, the ruler of the Second French Empire. He was the nephew and heir of Napoleon I, christened as Charles Louis Napoléon Bonaparte...
. At this time, Höckert became recognized as one of Sweden's foremost figure painters.
Höckert's success continued and he made several popular paintings during the subsequent years. He was hired as a professor 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...
in 1864. At this time, Höckert was working on the painting Slottsbranden i Stockholm den 7 maj 1697 (English: Castle fire in Stockholm on 7 Maj 1697), which was displayed at the 1866 Scandinavian art fair in Stockholm. It is today regarded as one of Sweden's foremost paintings. Höckert died soon thereafter, on 16 September 1866, after several years of health issues.
Early life
Johan Christoffer Boklund
Johan Christoffer Boklund was a Swedish history, genre, and portrait painter from Kulla-Gunnarstorp in Scania. He was the son of a gardener. At the age of fifteen, Boklund came to Lund, where he worked on illustrations for Sven Nilsson's works on Scandinavian fauna...
, who he had met by coincidence. This led to Höckert quitting his normal school studies to study 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...
, where Boklund was a teacher. He studied at the school, which is located in Stockholm, from 1844 to 1845.
During his final year at the Royal Swedish Academy of Arts, Höckert went on a study tour through Sweden, primarily in Jönköping. In 1846, after graduating, Höckert traveled with Boklund to Munich
Munich
Munich The city's motto is "" . Before 2006, it was "Weltstadt mit Herz" . Its native name, , is derived from the Old High German Munichen, meaning "by the monks' place". The city's name derives from the monks of the Benedictine order who founded the city; hence the monk depicted on the city's coat...
for further studying at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts. For three years he studied there with eagerness, exploring figure painting
Figure painting
Figure painting is a form of the visual arts in which the artist uses a live model as the subject of a two-dimensional piece of artwork using paint as the medium. The live model can be either nude or partly or fully clothed and the painting is a representation of the full body of the model...
and genre works. Höckert's first oil painting, Två banditer, som dela rofvet (English: Two bandits, who shared the booty), was sent to Sweden and offered to Konstförening (English: The Art Association), but they did not buy it.
After completing his studies in Munich in 1849, Höckert returned to Sweden in 1950. During the summer of that year, he traveled extensively throughout Lapland in the northern parts of Sweden. Höckert chose Lapland because he had been inspired by the lively descriptions botanic Nils Johan Andersson
Nils Johan Andersson
Nils Johan Andersson , was a Swedish botanist and traveller. This botanist is denoted by the author abbreviation N.J.Andersson when citing a botanical name....
had made about the nature and people there.
Early career
While studying in Munich, Höckert realized his passion for historical painting. He moved to Paris in 1851, and brought with him several sketches he had made depicting events in Swedish history from the two past centuries. While living in Paris, Höckert painted his first painting that gained attention from a larger audience. It was called Drottning Kristina och Monaldeschi (English: Queen Christina and Monaldeschi), and pictured Christina of SwedenChristina of Sweden
Christina , later adopted the name Christina Alexandra, was Queen regnant of Swedes, Goths and Vandals, Grand Princess of Finland, and Duchess of Ingria, Estonia, Livonia and Karelia, from 1633 to 1654. She was the only surviving legitimate child of King Gustav II Adolph and his wife Maria Eleonora...
ordering her soldiers to kill Gian Rinaldo Monaldeschi
Monaldeschi
The Monaldeschi were one of the powerful noble families of Orvieto, central Italy, members of the Guelph party who contested with murders and violence the Ghibelline Filippeschi for control of the commune of Orvieto and the castelli of Umbria....
in Fontainebleau
Fontainebleau
Fontainebleau is a commune in the metropolitan area of Paris, France. It is located south-southeast of the centre of Paris. Fontainebleau is a sub-prefecture of the Seine-et-Marne department, and it is the seat of the arrondissement of Fontainebleau...
in 1657. The painting was awarded with a mention honorable at the Paris Salon
Paris Salon
The Salon , or rarely Paris Salon , beginning in 1725 was the official art exhibition of the Académie des Beaux-Arts in Paris, France. Between 1748–1890 it was the greatest annual or biannual art event in the Western world...
in 1853. Höckert made a brief visit to Sweden in 1854 to display the painting there. It was praised by many and he was given the honorary title of agré by the Royal Swedish Academy of Arts. Höckert was also given a travel scholarship by the Academy and he returned to Paris at the end of 1854.
Although Drottning Kristina och Monaldeschi was popular, Höckert rose to fame in 1855 with his painting Gudstjänst i Lövmokks fjällkapell (English: Worship service in Lövmokk's fell chapel). It was inspired by a sketch Höckert had made while traveling in Lapland, and he thought it would draw attention to itself. The painting was put on display at the 1855 World's Fair in Paris
Exposition Universelle (1855)
The Exposition Universelle of 1855 was an International Exhibition held on the Champs-Elysées in Paris from May 15 to November 15, 1855. Its full official title was the Exposition Universelle des produits de l'Agriculture, de l'Industrie et des Beaux-Arts de Paris 1855.The exposition was a major...
, and Höckert was awarded with a gold medal for it. French critics characterized it as a piece of French art, commenting that Höckert was most likely influenced by Eugène Delacroix
Eugène Delacroix
Ferdinand Victor Eugène Delacroix was a French Romantic artist regarded from the outset of his career as the leader of the French Romantic school...
and Thomas Couture
Thomas Couture
Thomas Couture was an influential French history painter and teacher. Couture taught such later luminaries of the art world as Édouard Manet, Henri Fantin-Latour, John La Farge, Pierre Puvis de Chavannes, Karel Javůrek, and J-N Sylvestre.-Life:He was born at Senlis, Oise, France...
. The painting was then bought by Napoleon III of France
Napoleon III of France
Louis-Napoléon Bonaparte was the President of the French Second Republic and as Napoleon III, the ruler of the Second French Empire. He was the nephew and heir of Napoleon I, christened as Charles Louis Napoléon Bonaparte...
and was given to the art museum in Lille
Palais des Beaux-Arts de Lille
The Palais des Beaux-Arts de Lille is one of the largest museums in France, and the largest French museum outside of Paris....
. Its current home is the National Museum of Arts in Sweden. At this time, Höckert became recognized as one of Sweden's foremost figure painters.
The inspiration for many of the paintings Höckert painted while living in Paris came from his earlier travels in Lapland, including Gudstjänst i Lövmokks fjällkapell (1855), Scen från Lappmarken (1856), and Det inre af en lappkåta (1857). While painting Gudstjänt i Lövmokks fjällkapell, which depicts a Lappish mother during a worship service in Lövmokk, Höckert hired an Italian woman named Luisiella as his model
Model (art)
Art models are models who pose for photographers, painters, sculptors, and other artists as part of their work of art. Art models who pose in the nude for life drawing are usually called life models...
. He fell in love with her, but she died in his arms during one of their painting sessions. This later became the inspiration for Höckert's oil sketch
Oil sketch
An Oil sketch or oil study is an artwork made primarily in oil paints that is more abbreviated in handling than a fully finished painting. Originally these were created as preparatory studies or modelli, especially so as to gain approval for the design of a larger commissioned painting...
Luisiellas död (English: Luisiella's death).
Höckert traveled to the Netherlands in 1856 to study Rembrandt. He returned to Paris the same year and made another popular painting: Det inre af en lappkåta (English: The inside of a goahti). This painting depicts a Lappish mother wagging her child in their goahti
Goahti
A goahti is a Sami construction that can be similar to a Sami lavvu or a peat covered version using the same base structure. It is often constructed slightly larger than a lavvu...
home. It was awarded with a mention honorable at the Paris Salon in 1857, and was bought by the Swedish government to be displayed at the National Museum of Fine Arts. In 1862, it was displayed at the World's Fair in London
1862 International Exhibition
The International of 1862, or Great London Exposition, was a world's fair. It was held from 1 May to 1 November 1862, beside the gardens of the Royal Horticultural Society, South Kensington, London, England, on a site that now houses museums including the Natural History Museum and the Science...
.
Return to Sweden
After leaving Paris and traveling in Belgium, Holland, and England, Höckert returned to Sweden in 1857. He soon became vice-professor at the Royal Swedish Academy of Arts, and begun work on his next painting: Brudfärd på Hornavan. Höckert made this painting, depicting the lake HornavanHornavan
Hornavan [′hu:rna:van] is a lake in northern Sweden. It is located in Arjeplog Municipality in the province of Swedish Lapland, administratively known as Norrbotten County.- Geography :...
in Lapland, in a different style than he was used to. It featured brighter tones than his previous paintings, and depicted a more open landscape. Brudfärd på Hornavan was completed in 1858.
Höckert began traveling through Dalarna
Dalarna
', English exonym: Dalecarlia, is a historical province or landskap in central Sweden. Another English language form established in literature is the Dales. Places involving the element Dalecarlia exist in the United States....
later in 1958 to further his studies. While traveling in this part of Sweden, Höckert used the scenery around him as inspiration for his paintings, including Gustav Vasa och Tomt Margit, which is now displayed at Utmelandsmonumentet in Mora, Dalarna. Other paintings set in Dalarna include: Kulla med psalmbok (1859–60), Höskörd vid Siljan, Rättvikskulla vid spiseln (1862), and Gudmors besök (1865).
Later career and death
Höckert left Sweden in 1861 and visited Spain, Italy, and Northern Africa. The following year, he participated at the World's Fair in London1862 International Exhibition
The International of 1862, or Great London Exposition, was a world's fair. It was held from 1 May to 1 November 1862, beside the gardens of the Royal Horticultural Society, South Kensington, London, England, on a site that now houses museums including the Natural History Museum and the Science...
as a commissioner at the Swedish art section. Höckert returned to Sweden in 1862, was hired as an art director at the Royal Swedish Opera
Royal Swedish Opera
Kungliga Operan is Sweden's national stage for opera and ballet.-Location and Environment:...
in Stockholm in 1863, and became a professor at the Royal Swedish Academy of Arts in 1864. Around this time, he completed the painting Bellman i Sergels atelier. From 1864 to 1865, Höckert also provided illustrations (and political caricatures) for the newly established magazine Ny illustrerad tidning.
Trolleholm Castle
Trolleholm Castle is a castle in Svalöv Municipality, Scania, in southern Sweden. The estate comprises 110 houses and a total of . Originally named Kattesnabbe and later Ericholm, it has been known since 1424, and was a monastic estate in the late Middle Ages....
to paint a large painting (Slottsbranden i Stockholm den 7 maj 1697) depicting the fire that destroyed the castle Tre Kronor
Tre kronor (castle)
Tre Kronor or Three Crowns was a castle located in Stockholm, Sweden, on the site where Stockholm Palace is today. It is believed to have been a citadel that Birger Jarl built into a royal castle in the middle of the 13th century...
in 1697. The painting was large and time consuming, and Höckert made a break from it while making a trip to Hälsingland
Hälsingland
' is a historical province or landskap in central Sweden. It borders to Gästrikland, Dalarna, Härjedalen, Medelpad and to the Gulf of Bothnia...
in 1865. During this trip, he made several sketches for paintings that he was planning on doing.
When Höckert returned from his trip, the count of Trolleholm Castle did no longer want the Slottsbranden i Stockholm den 7 maj 1697 painting. As a result, Höckert made a quick effort to get it finished for the 1866 Scandinavian art fair in Stockholm instead. The painting was displayed and, despite its uncompleted state, made a large impression. The judges at the fair awarded Höckert with one of the six gold medals. Slottsbranden i Stockholm den 7 maj 1697 is today regarded as one of Sweden's foremost paintings. The painting was later displayed in Paris and Philadelphia in 1867, before being bought by Höckert's heirs in 1883 and given to its current home at the National Museum of Fine Arts in Sweden.
During the 1860s, Höckert was experiencing health issues. He spent the summer of 1866 in Marstrand
Marstrand
Marstrand is a seaside locality situated in Kungälv Municipality, Västra Götaland County, Sweden. It had 1,432 inhabitants in 2005. It has held city privileges since 1200. The most striking feature about Marstrand is the 17th century fortress Carlsten, named after King Carl X Gustav of Sweden. The...
, and while returning home to Stockholm, he had to stop in Gothenburg because of his illness. Höckert passed away in Gothenburg on 16 September 1866. Following his death, he has become one of the most famous nineteenth-century painters in Sweden, and he is one of the painters most often associated with Swedish national romanticism. The authors of Nordisk familjebok
Nordisk familjebok
Nordisk familjebok is a Swedish encyclopedia, published between 1876 and 1957.- History :The first edition was published in 20 volumes between 1876 and 1899. The first edition is known as the "Iðunn edition" because of the picture of Iðunn on the cover...
write that Höckert's work has influenced many Swedish artists since then.