King Gustav Vasa of Sweden Addressing Men from Dalarna in Mora

In Mora, Gustav Vasa urges the peasantry to rebel against the Danes. The year is 1520, and a new Sweden is about to emerge. When Sandberg painted the scene in 1836, Gustav Vasa was regarded as a national hero. Sandberg also painted the scene as a large fresco in Uppsala Cathedral. However, the prestigious place history painting held in the 19th century, soon faded. But recently, a new interest in the genre has developed – this image appears in the book 1001 Paintings You Must See before You Die (2011).

Credit: Gift of Karl Arfvedsson 1925