King Gustav III of Sweden and his Brothers

Alexander Roslin's group portrait of King Gustav III of Sweden and his Brothers of 1771 is one of the great dynastic images of the eighteenth century, capturing the Swedish royal family at the beginning of Gustav's transformative reign. Gustav III came to power in 1771 and would proceed to curtail the power of the Swedish aristocracy through a coup in 1772, making this portrait a record of the royal family on the cusp of a decisive political moment. Roslin, working as a Paris-based painter of international reputation who returned to his native country for significant commissions, arranged the three brothers in a composition that balances formality with a newer naturalness of interaction borrowed from the English conversation piece. The Nationalmuseum picture is his most ambitious Swedish royal commission.

The three figures are arranged across a spacious canvas with the architectural and textile splendor expected of royal portraiture. Roslin's fabric rendering is at full capacity — silks, velvets, and embroidery treated with the descriptive precision that made him famous. The faces are individual and alert, and a warm, golden light unifies the composition.