A Presence on the Djurgårdsbrunnsviken
The Maritime Museum sits on the northern shore of the Djurgårdsbrunnsviken in Stockholm, Sweden. It occupies a space defined by the gentle curve of its architecture, a structure designed by Ragnar Östberg and completed between 1933 and 1936. The building’s form draws inspiration from the neoclassicist designs of Olof Tempelman, particularly in its central cupola constructed entirely of brick. This architectural presence provides a backdrop for the surrounding park, where the air often carries the echoes of open-air concerts and music festivals.
The museum functions as a central institution for naval history, merchant shipping, and shipbuilding. It oversees several sister institutions, including the Vasa Museum and the Railway Museum. Within its walls, the collection spans from delicate canoes to heavy Skerry cruisers, alongside a vast archive of drawings, objects, and photographs that document the relationship between the Swedish people and the sea.
The Art of the Sea
The paintings held here offer a window into the shifting nature of maritime life and the technical evolution of vessels. One finds a quiet intensity in the depictions of naval history and the movement of ships through varying conditions. The collection includes works that capture specific moments of maritime existence, from the quietude of a harbor to the tension of a storm.
- The Port of Zaandam by Claude Monet
- Swedish state yacht or post yacht, 1700 by Ludolf Bakhuizen
- Portrait by Hilma af Klint
- The Viborg Street Race 1790 by Johan Tietrich Schoultz
- Passenger Steamship ESAIAS TEGNÉR, 1856 by Per Wilhelm Cedergren
- The foundering of the brig Gustaf in the Channel in 1835, 1836 by Ole Johnsen Sebøy
Per Wilhelm Cedergren is a frequent presence in these halls, with several works documenting the era of steam and sail. His depictions of the Passenger Steamship ESAIAS TEGNÉR and the Paddle Steamer NORRLAND provide a sense of the scale and industry of the nineteenth century. Nearby, the works of Ferdinand Boberg offer a different perspective, focusing on the industrial landscape of the Stockholm shipyards, such as the scrap heaps and slipways at Galärvarvet.
Memory and Metal
Beyond the canvas, the museum preserves the physical reality of seafaring. The collection includes a significant array of ship models that illustrate the history of the Swedish Navy. These models, alongside the actual vessels, allow for a study of shipbuilding techniques across different eras. Outside the building, the bronze statue The Sailor by Nils Sjögren remains a permanent fixture, serving as a memorial to those lost at sea during World War II.
The museum's reach extends to the very mechanics of trade and movement. Through exhibitions on merchant shipping, the collection explores how the necessity of trade has shaped human habits and the physical appearance of the ships that carry them. It is a place where the history of the coast is recorded not just in ink, but in the wood, iron, and canvas of the vessels themselves.
