Nationalmuseum Jamtli in Östersund presented an exhibition of portraits from the museum’s vast collection. The selection centred on women, men and children who lived in or worked for Sweden from the Vasa period to the present day. Some of the artists and models had a direct connection with Jämtland.
People from centuries past to the present step forward in these portraits, as if from the murky depths of a mirror. Paintings, sculptures and photographs are not reality: they are a reflection of how a model wants to be immortalised for all eternity, and how the artist portraying them chooses to interpret that.
The artworks in Just Like in a Mirror – Portraits over Five Centuries traced how society's views on status, social identity and career have changed over the centuries. The exhibition explored themes like the family, the cultural elite and the monarchy, as well as changing beauty and fashion trends.
Bernhard Österman, Gustav V, King of Sweden. Photo: Per-Åke Persson/Nationalmuseum.
Laila Prytz, Birgit Nilsson, opera singer.
Ida von Schulzenheim, Pierre Louis Alexandre, artist's model and dock labourer.
David Klöcker Ehrenstrahl, Self-Portrait with Allegories. Photo: Anna Danielsson/Nationalmuseum.
Marja Helander, Britta Marakatt-Labba, artist.
Per Krafft The Younger, Charlotte Jeanette and Anne Sofie Laurent. Photo: Erik Cornelius/Nationalmuseum.
One of the most exciting categories in the exhibition were the self-portraits by artists. Throughout history, artists have portrayed themselves as everything from successful court painters to unworldly bohemians. They've also often portrayed their fellow artists, in informal settings.
The exact opposite of this category are the official portraits of the royal family, especially of the reigning monarch. In these portraits, the model represents not just themselves, but also their office and wealth.
In between these two extremes, Just Like in a Mirror invited the visitor to stand eye to eye with a broad selection of officials, authors, actors, sports stars and a dock labourer.
Find more information about opening hours and tickets on Jamtli's website.