Carl Milles in Stockholm

Playing Bears

The two pairs of bears marking the entrance to Berzeliiparken are part of a series of animal motifs that Carl Milles created in the early 1900s. Milles received the commission in 1906 and carved the sculptures in granite. A little further along the wall, a few otters can be seen climbing—these are also signed by Carl Milles.

Columns at the entrance

The child figures winding around the columns at the entrance to the Royal Dramatic Theatre were created by Carl Milles in 1908. The sculptures faced fairly harsh criticism, primarily due to the figures’ nudity, which was considered to have crossed the boundaries of decency.

The Orpheus Fountain

Orpheus is portrayed in Greek mythology as a renowned singer and musician. In the fountain in front of Stockholm’s Concert Hall, he descends into the underworld to try to awaken the dead with his lyre and to bring back his beloved Eurydice. One of the underworld’s inhabitants bears the features of the composer Beethoven. Inside the concert hall’s foyer, the four muses of musical art stand, each playing different instruments.

Aviator Monument

The commission for a monument honoring fallen Swedish aviators was given to Carl Milles by the Swedish Aeroclub as early as 1917. However, the bronze eagle was not installed until 1931, after the original design had been revised many times. The marble reliefs on the polished granite base depict André’s balloon flight and an Icarus figure. Inside the base is a sealed chamber where, until the 1940s, a medal commemorating Swedish aviators who lost their lives was placed.

Façade Reliefs, Enskilda Banken

The collaboration between Carl Milles and architect Ivar Tengbom resulted in several fascinating intersections of art and architecture. Their first joint project, the current SEB headquarters, was completed in 1915. The façade reliefs fittingly depict the evolution of the economy—from simple barter trade to the modern banking system. The Naiad above the entrance, along with the figures holding scales and fruit bowls around the corner on Wahrendorffsgatan, were also carved by Carl Milles.

Musical Angels

On a rocky ledge above the Lidingö Bridge, Carl Milles’s flute-playing angel welcomes visitors to the island. The statue was erected by the city of Lidingö in the late 1990s and is part of a series of angel motifs that Carl Milles created in the early 1950s.

To Another World

To Another World was created in 2008 based on a 66 cm high bronze sketch by Carl Milles held at Millesgården. It was commissioned by Lidingö Municipality to be placed at the entrance to Lidingö as a symbol of the island’s strong health profile. The sculpture stands in the roundabout at the intersection of Södra Kungsvägen and Lejonvägen. The 2.4-meter-high replica was made using 3D scanning of the smaller original and cast in bronze by Herman Bergman’s foundry in Enskede, Stockholm.

Angel of Death

In Minneslunden at Lidingö Cemetery stands an aluminum replica of an angel created by Carl Milles. Originally, it was part of a monument to Emanuel Swedenborg from 1925–1930. The original copper sculpture is planned to be installed inside Breviks Church.

The Archer

In front of Liljevalchs Art Gallery on Djurgården stands The Archer atop a gigantic granite column. The original proposal by Carl Milles, which won the competition, was also titled Kolonn (Column). Initially, the bow and arrow were intended to be gilded to gleam in the sunlight, but the materials were ultimately limited to bronze and granite when the sculpture was erected in 1919. Above the entrance to the gallery, you’ll find additional works by Carl Milles: a figure of Icarus and two Etruscan wolves.

Genius

The same sculpture that adorns Gösta Ekman the Elder’s grave at Norra begravningsplatsen also stands at the water’s edge by Manillaskolan on Djurgården.

God the Father on the Rainbow

At the entrance to Stockholm, this 24-meter-high fountain rises, depicting God in the act of placing stars in the sky, assisted by an angel. The sculpture was completed by Carl Milles’s assistant, Marshall Fredericks, and was erected in 1995. Originally, the sculpture was intended to adorn the site in front of the United Nations building in New York. The rainbow motif symbolizes the arch as a unifying force and contributes to the sculpture’s role as a monument to peace.

The Wings

At the base of Skeppsbron, in front of the Nationalmuseum, stands Carl Milles’s sculpture The Wings—also known as Boy with Eagle. Milles’s interest in Greek mythology is reflected in this 1908 sculpture, which depicts the myth of Ganymede. The youth Ganymede was considered the most beautiful of mortals and was abducted by the god Zeus, who had transformed into an eagle.

Façade reliefs

On the façade of Ferdinand Boberg’s NK department store on Hamngatan, several small relief panels signed by Carl Milles are displayed.

Gustav Vasa

The first sculpture of Gustav Vasa by Carl Milles was created for the opening of the Nordic Museum in 1907. This version was made of plaster and painted by Olga Milles, Carl’s wife. When the original sculpture began to deteriorate, a new one was commissioned—carved in oak in accordance with the original idea. The new version was installed in 1925 and depicts a noticeably younger monarch, which surprised many visitors.

Genius

The kneeling angel in this grave monument for the actor Gösta Ekman the Elder was originally intended as a tribute to the writer August Strindberg. Milles had worked on the Strindberg monument for a long time, and when he moved to the United States in 1931, he took the sculpture with him. The lyre-playing angel was completed in 1939 but was not placed on Ekman’s grave until ten years later.

Sun Glitter

In the center of Råsunda Square, just behind the football stadium, stands this fountain, inaugurated in 1955. Solglitter is said to be the sculpture Carl Milles liked best himself. The naiad riding over the waves on a dolphin dates from around 1917–1918.

Photo: Rebecka Walan, Stockholm County Museum

The Sea God

On the quay by the Djurgården ferries stands the robust sea god. Sculpted in red granite, it was erected in 1913. Carl Milles had envisioned lining the entire quay along Skeppsbron with numerous statues, but that idea never came to fruition.

Portrait of K.A. Wallenberg

In Wallenberg Park stands Knut Agathon Wallenberg, the founder of Saltsjöbaden. Carl Milles sculpted the portrait around 1916 in red granite. K. A. Wallenberg was a second-generation banker and very wealthy. Through generous donations to the cultural sector, Wallenberg helped make possible, among other projects, the construction of the Church of the Revelation (Uppenbarelsekyrkan) in Saltsjöbaden and the Stockholm Public Library.

Church Doors, Church of the Revelation

The Church of the Revelation (Uppenbarelsekyrkan), designed by Carl Milles’s friend Ferdinand Boberg between 1910 and 1913, houses many works by Carl Milles. The first thing visitors encounter are the massive bronze doors, whose style is inspired by German-Romanesque church architecture. In the church’s nave stands Carl Milles’s baptismal font, featuring stylistic elements reminiscent of medieval Gotland.

Altar Reliefs, Church of the Revelation

Ferdinand Boberg’s monumental white marble altar immediately captures the visitor’s attention. The alabaster reliefs, created by Carl Milles, depict four scenes from the Bible.

Carved Angels, Church of the Revelation

Above the high altar, high up beneath the ceiling, two carved angels crafted by Carl Milles hover, while the rest of the decorative scheme is the work of architect Ferdinand Boberg.

Wood Sculptures, Church of the Revelation

The two carved wooden sculptures depicting Peter and Paul are rare examples of Carl Milles’s work in wood. The sculptures were painted by artist Olle Hjortzberg, who, together with Filip Månsson, executed the decorative painting throughout the rest of the church.

Angel of Death

Carl Milles collaborated only once with architect Gunnar Asplund, and the result of this partnership can be seen above the entrance to the Woodland Chapel (Skogskapellet). Here, the Angel of Death hovers—an unusually gentle and welcoming figure for a servant of death. Installed in 1921, the sculpture is primarily made of copper with gilded details. Today, the original is housed in the Music Room at Millesgården, while a replica replaces it on the chapel roof due to attempted theft of the original.

Tessin Monument

On one of the pillars supporting the high vaults in the Storkyrkan Cathedral sit three generations of the famous Tessin family of architects. The seated figure is Nicodemus Tessin the Elder, who, among many other works, built Drottningholm Palace. His son, Nicodemus Tessin the Younger, was the architect behind Stockholm Palace. The last in the line of distinguished Tessin architects is Carl Gustav Tessin, considered the foremost arbiter of taste and trendsetter of the 18th century. His image appears in relief between the columns. The monument was installed in the cathedral in 1934.

The Sun Singer

The Swedish Academy commissioned a monument to the poet Esaias Tegnér around 1917, but it was not installed until 1926. The delay was largely due to Carl Milles reworking the sculpture several times before he was satisfied. The final result is a symbolic representation of the poet Tegnér, rendered in a strict Neoclassical style.

Façade Relief, Nordstjärnan Building

Carl Milles’ reliefs adorn the façade of the so-called Nordstjärnan Building on the corner of Biblioteksgatan.

The Industry Monument

The giant bronze bowl in front of the Royal Institute of Technology was installed in 1926. Intended as a tribute to Swedish industry, the monument in fact has little to do with industry. Carl Milles drew his inspiration from ancient Greek drinking vessels. The monument is dedicated to his close friend, the composer Hugo Alfvén.

Reliefs at the Entrance

In the archway forming the entrance to the inner courtyard, several reliefs by Carl Milles are embedded. The entrance to the main building is guarded by two dog-like figures inspired by Cerberus from Greek mythology. In the myth, this three-headed creature watches over the gates to the underworld. Above the side doors, two female figures sit enthroned.

Eagles

The two sea eagles flanking the entrance to Prince Eugen’s Waldemarsudde were begun in 1907 and installed in 1910. Carved in granite, they are, unlike many other eagles sculpted by Carl Milles, rendered in fully naturalistic detail.

The Archer

Another sculpture by Carl Milles at Waldemarsudde is The Archer, a smaller version of the one located in front of Liljevalchs Art Gallery.

Wild Boar

In the palace park stand two bronze wild boars, nearly life-sized. They were originally created for an English lord whom Carl Milles met during an exhibition at the Tate Gallery in London in 1927. The exhibition marked Milles’s major international breakthrough and led to a number of new commissions. The wild boars were later purchased by the then Prince of Sweden, who would become King Gustaf VI Adolf. In 1937, they were installed in the park at Ulriksdal Palace. Inside the palace, a dancing naiad in bronze relief adorns the grand living room.

The Triton Fountain

Prince Eugen’s Djurgården residence was designed by Carl Milles’s friend, architect Ferdinand Boberg. Milles and Boberg collaborated on several occasions, including the Church of the Revelation (Uppenbarelsekyrkan) in Saltsjöbaden.

The Triton Fountain, made of bronze and granite, was completed just before the outbreak of World War I in 1914. Several sculptures by Carl Milles can be found in the park at Waldemarsudde.

The Chemist

On a column in the park once stood a bronze sculpture of the chemist Carl Wilhelm Scheele, created in 1912. The sculpture was stolen during the winter of 2006 and has been missing ever since, but was replaced by a replica in 2010. A version of the sculpture can also be found in Scheele’s hometown of Köping.