Carl Gustaf Hellqvist (
December 15,
1851 –
November 19,
1890) was one of
Sweden's most popular historical painters in the 19th century. He was born in 1851 in Kungsör, between Arboga and Eskilstuna at Lake Mälaren, Sweden, where he grew up and went to school.
In 1864, Hellqvist started to study art at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts in Stockholm and in 1875, he was awarded the Royal Academy's higest prize for his painting "Gustaf I anklagar Peder Sunnanväder och Mäster Knut inför domkapitlet i Västerås".
Two years later, in 1877, Hellqvist was awarded a travelling scholarship from the Academy, and he began to travel around in The Continent. He moved, together with his fiancée, Julie, to Munich in 1879.
In 1882 he and Julie got married and they left for Paris, where Hellqvist earlier had been present at the Paris Solons with his oil painting "The Death of Sten Sture the Younger on the Ice of Lake Mälaren, 1520" (Sw. "Sten Sture d y:s död på Mälarens is 1520").
In August 1882, he was awarded the gold medal for his magnificent historical painting "Valdemar Atterdag Holding Visby to Ransom, 1361" (Sw. "Valdemar Atterdag brandskattar Visby 1361") in Vienna, Austria.
Hellqvist suffered from painful head aches which forced him to take a leave from his teaching at Königliche akademische Hochschule für die bildende Künste in 1886. He ends his period of historical painting at the same time.
In 1889, Hellqvist's disease was treated with electro convulsive treatment and he was ordered on a diet.
In 1890, it was announced that Hellqvist's studio-objects were to be sold. Probably the famous photography of his studio was taken at the same time, which shows how a historical painter's studio looked like during the late 19th century.
On November 19, 1890 he passed away at Irrenanstalt where he was staying—he was buried in Munich.
References
- Rudnert, Sune. I historiemålarens verkstad: Carl Gustaf Hellqvist – liv och verk. 1991. ISBN 91-7966-162-9.
- Rudnert, Sune. Carl Gustaf Hellqvist och hans historiemålning Valdemar Atterdag brandskattar Visby den 27 juli 1361. 1989.
