The 18th century marked a peak in the artistic relationship between France and Sweden. French art was very influential in Sweden, and conversely a Swedish count, Carl Gustaf Tessin, played a significant role in the artistic life of the French capital for a brief but intense period.

Tessin served as Swedish ambassador in Paris from 1739 to 1742. In this role, he was involved in top-secret political negotiations, but the enduring legacy of his time in France was the extensive contacts he made in the art world and the many works of art he acquired. The collection now belongs to Nationalmuseum, where it is one of the crown jewels.

During the time when the Nationalmuseum building is being renovated, a core part of the Tessin collection was being lended to exhibitions at Le Louvre in Paris as well as at The Morgan Libraray & Museum in New York. Among the artworks are paintings by François Boucher and Jean-Siméon Chardin and drawings by Domenico Ghirlandaio, Raphael, Albrecht Dürer, Peter Paul Rubens, Rembrandt, Nicholas Poussin and Antoine Watteau.
Here you’ll find a selection of the art works on show at our fellow museums the winter of 2016/2017.

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