Carl Wahlbom

Johann Wilhelm Carl Wahlbom (* 1810 in Kalmar, † 1856 or 1858 in London) was a Swedish painter, illustrator and sculptor.

Life

Wahlbom studied after attending the Art Academy in Stockholm from 1838 in Paris and from 1843 to 1848 in Rome. He taught for several years at the Art Academy in Stockholm. In 1853 he left Sweden for health reasons, and he returned to Rome, where he remained until 1856. During a stay in a hotel in the Sabine mountains, he suffered a stroke which paralyzed him. He sought a cure in Rome, Lyon and London, where he eventually died. Wahlbom was buried in Woking.

Works

To Wahlboms works include several self-portraits, numerous paintings with animals and historical motifs and watercolors from the everyday life of his time in Paris. As a sculptor he created, for example, a faun, playing with a child.

On behalf of an English publisher Wahlbom should make illustrations for a book about the Swedish king Gustavus Adolphus. However, the plans fell through for financial reasons. One of his most famous painting of the death of King Gustav Adolf at the Battle of Lutzen, was born in 1855. It hangs in the National Museum in Stockholm. Another painting of Gustav Adolf, hangs in the royal palace. Plans to use the battle scenes as a template for a stamp, failed because the Swedish postal service does not condone war motifs on its brands; the painting was reproduced but nevertheless interested by Czesław SLANIA.

Wahlbom illustrated PH Lings work Asarne from 1833 bis 1836. From 1835 to 1837 he worked mainly on lithographic illustrations for the Museum for naturvetenskap, const och historia by GH Mellin and NH Thomson.