The National Museum of Sweden in Stockholm (Part 5 of 5)

Miscellaneous

As part of its Timeline theme spread over two floors, the museum also displays items of furniture, urns, vases, crockery and few miniatures.

Art and Consciousness

Pablo Picasso had once said that “Art washes away from the soul the dust of everyday life.”

We may or may not believe in the concept of a soul. But we cannot deny the fact that any interaction with any form of fine arts – be it dance, literature, music, paintings, sculptures – evokes a sense of connection, peace, and gratitude. Great works of art celebrate and express the beauty of Nature, that “the universe is full of magical things patiently waiting for our wits to grow sharper,” as Eden Phillpotts put it.

With the best art we are reminded that we live in a Creative Universe that is itself a work of art, filled with masterpieces of rivers, stars, mountains, children, clouds, and flora and fauna. The greatest artists, poets, dancers, and musicians down through time (like Van Gogh, Rembrandt, M F Hussain, Walt Whitman, Rabindranath Tagore, Mrinalini Sarabhai, Mozart, Zubin Mehta, Pandit Ravi Shankar, to name only a few) have created a rich legacy which invariably uplifts our state of consciousness and encourages us to look carefully within, so as to enthuse us to develop our own creative potential.

A visit to any museum offers us this opportunity. World over, museums perform the enviable task of not only showcasing the uniqueness of the area’s culture, history and fine art but also that of keeping us inwardly awash with hope and keenly aware of a deeper reality in life. The National Museum of Sweden in Stockholm is no exception to this fact of life.  

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The National Museum of Sweden in Stockholm (Part 4 of 5)

Paintings and Portraits (Part 2)

We also get to see paintings depicting a bridge, a brooding person deep in thought, some blacksmiths, an outdoor table being laid out in the lap of nature, two girls which look like twins, piano performance at a church, some portraits, baby with a puppy and an indoor table just being laid out for a delicious meal, gently nudging a visitor to rush to the museum café for some exquisite Swedish dishes.  

      

As an amateur photographer, I always find it challenging to capture paintings better. Some paintings are shiny, others not so. Often, the lighting arrangements are such that I have to find the best angle at which the paintings can be seen the best, with minimum reflection of its spotlights. If you find this collection off-key in parts, you know whom to blame!

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The National Museum of Sweden in Stockholm (Part 3 of 5)

Paintings and Portraits (Part 1)

Glimpses of mundane life of royals as well as the hoi polloi can be had by virtue of the paintings and portraits on display at the museum. A lady doing gardening, a boy playing the flute, playful dogs, few Biblical fables, a lady milking the cow, some stiff-upper-lip portraits, the Cupids in action, natural scenery, a depiction of the Piazza San Marco in Venice and many others.

In the following parts of this series, you will get to see a few more paintings, crockery, vases and other items on display at the museum.

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The National Museum of Sweden in Stockholm (Part 2 of 5)

The Timeline

The top two floors of the museum take us on an interesting journey spanning six centuries of artworks. One can spend hours here, soaking in the artistic richness of the items on display.

The top floor covers the period from the 16^th century till the 18^th century.

The middle floor has five sections, their respective timelines being 1800-1870, 1870-1900, the turn of the century 1900, 1920-1965 and 1965 to present day.  

The Treasury

Located on the middle floor, this section houses 1,170 small artefacts of major importance: 600 miniature portraits and other accessories like jewellery, boxes and pocket watches, the latter reminding one of the displays at the Patek Phillippe museum of royal watches and artefacts on display in Geneva (http://www.geneva.info/museums/patek-philippe-museum).

Keeping the Time

Time keeping has always been an important part of human endeavour. As a part of its Timeline theme spread over two floors, the museum has several kinds of clocks and watches which often leave one in awe of the craftsmen who created these exquisite pieces.

In the following parts of this series, you can have a look at some of the crockery, vases, paintings and many other items on display at the museum.

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The National Museum of Sweden in Stockholm (Part 1 of 6)

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The National Museum of Sweden in Stockholm (Part 1 of 5)

A saunter down the National Museum of Sweden is a unique experience in more ways than one. It gives one a sneak peek into the country’s rich history and culture. It showcases the evolution of its fine arts over time. It tells us about its diplomatic relations and stand-offs with other countries. It also makes us aware of the various stages through which this exquisite Nordic country has passed to attain its present state.

The collection at the museum comprises around 70,000 artefacts: paintings, sculptures, drawings, and graphics from the 16^th century until the turn of the century in 1900. The museum, originally started in 1792, was renovated last in the 2010s.

The Sculpture Courtyard

The ground floor has The Sculpture Courtyard which makes one wonder how Idealism in the past shifted to Realism during the 19^th century. Mythology and gods represented here link us to human ideals and values, all of which are universal in nature.

(The images you see above have been downloaded from the internet. The images which follow are the works of an amateur photographer like yours truly.)

Few other sculptures of a relatively smaller size can be found on the upper floors of the museum, as a part of its Timeline theme. A piece depicting a horse also craves the viewer’s indulgence.

  

In the following parts of this series, you can have a look at some of the clocks, jewellery, paintings and other items on display at the museum.

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The National Museum of Sweden in Stockholm (Part 2 of 5)

‘The Dance of Life’ at the National Gallery of Norway

A saunter down the Rietberg Museum at Zurich in Switzerland: Part 1 of 3

A saunter down the Munch Museum in Oslo, Norway (Part 1 of 3)

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