David von Krafft

David von Krafft (* 1655 in Hamburg, † September 20, 1724 in Stockholm) was a Swedish painter of German origin.

David Krafft was summoned to Sweden in 1675 by David Klocker Hofporträtmaler Ehrenstrahl and instructed by it in the painting. Ehrenstrahl was not only Krafft teacher but also his uncle. With financial support from Queen Ulrica Eleonora the Elder spent Krafft to study about ten years abroad. The way to Italy via Denmark and Germany took three years, where he portrayed the Danish royal family, among others. In Italy his way from Venice via Florence led to Rome, where he abbildete the abdicated Queen Christina in her palace. Furthermore Krafft visited Naples and Bologna, before moving back over Venice to the north. In Vienna, a portrait of the imperial family was and at the same time he received the news of the death of his Swedish patroness. That did not stop them from Krafft, nor to visit Württemberg, Switzerland, Paris and the Netherlands. In 1696 was Krafft honor beam successor as court painter in Stockholm.

By his first wife, Justine Sofie kingdom of peace, he was the Elder (1671-1730), which improved his position at the court in contact with Imperial Council Joachim von Duben. Later he married the widow Elizabeth Speet through which he fell into a number of legal conflicts. Besides numerous portraits of the royal family Krafft created the altarpiece of the Cathedral of Kalmar. For his services to the royal family Queen Ulrika Eleonora in 1719 elevated him to the peerage, and appointed him one year at Hofintendanten.

The encyclopedia Nordisk familjebok describes his art in Volume 14 of 1911 as follows:

Krafft's paintings are today among other things, the Swedish National Museum in Malmo, Gothenburg Museum of Art and Gripsholm Castle. Among many of Krafft students Gustaf Lundberg, Olof Arenius, Georg Engelhard Schröder, Lorenz Pasch the Elder, Johan Henrik Scheffel and Johan David Swartz find.