Leseprobe

277 FIG. 4 So-called Augsburg Art Cabinet of Gustavus Adolphus , formerly owned by Philipp Hainhofer, presented to Gustavus Adolphus as a gift from the City of Augsburg in 1632, Augsburg, 1625–1631, h. with base 240 cm, w. 120 cm, Uppsala, Gustavianum, University Museum, Art Collections lish a royal collection of works of art. In April 1632, the Swedish King received a spectacular gift from the city of Augsburg: a Kunstkammer cabinet full of rare curiosities, called the Augsburgska konstskåpet (Augsburg Art Cabinet) in Sweden. This work of art, which was made in the 1620s and was originally owned by the Augsburg councillor and merchant Philip Hainhofer, only arrived in Sweden after the King’s death (fig. 4).5 The example of Gustavus Adolphus can also be used to illustrate how works of art could take on a symbolic sig- nificance in the forging of political alliances. The King of Sweden and the Prince of Transylvania, Bethlen Gábor, were married to the sisters Maria Eleonora and Catherine of the Electorate of Brandenburg and were therefore brothers-in- law. Among the holdings of the Royal Armoury in Stock- holm are gifts from Bethlen Gábor which bear witness to his desire for good relations between the two Protestant states. Transylvania was a small principality in search of Protestant allies in the struggle against the Emperor.The gift presented in 1626 contained a red saddle with gilded stirrups, a gold-embroidered caparison and a headstall decorated with rubies and turquoises. It also included a commander’s baton in the form of a mace set with gold, grey-green jade and rubies, as well as a sabre decorated with seventy rubies and thirty-one turquoises (fig. 5). The gifts acquired from the Sultan’s workshops in Constantinople (Istanbul) are an example of the important role played by exclusive art objects in the negotiation of alliances.6 Gustavus Adolphus in the visual arts In royal propaganda, pictorial representations of the King were used early on, such as paintings and medals bearing the King’s portrait given as rewards or gifts. In the collections of the Royal Armoury in Stockholm there is a portrait of Gustavus Adolphus at the age of about thirty. It is attributed to the Flemish artist Jacob Hoefnagel, who was in Sweden in the 1620s (fig.6).7 Gustavus Adolphus is depicted wearing dark-coloured armour with a blue sash, trimmed with gold lace, draped across his chest. This is contrasted by the white linen collar with broad lace border. Over time, the motifs changed; there was a shift from portraits to battle scenes.During the Thirty Years’War, the motif of struggle between the representatives of Protes- tant doctrine and the Papal Church is clearly evident, and Gustavus Adolphus is depicted as “the Lion of the North”or as God’s instrument. Allan Ellenius, who has analysed the representation of the King in the visual arts, notes a fusion of classical and Christian elements.Gods, goddesses and vir- tues of classical antiquity are combined with Christian motifs and symbols to make Gustavus Adolphus appear as a fighter for a just cause. After the King’s death at the Battle of Lützen in 1632, the moment of his death, his lit-de-parade and the funeral processions were depicted in numerous engravings. However, the prolific generation of images from the time of his participation in the Thirty Years’War came to an end.8