Carl Gustav Tessin
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Count Carl Gustaf Tessin (5 September 1695 – 7 January 1770) was a
Swedish Swedish or ' may refer to: Anything from or related to Sweden, a country in Northern Europe. Or, specifically: * Swedish language, a North Germanic language spoken primarily in Sweden and Finland ** Swedish alphabet, the official alphabet used by ...
Count Count (feminine: countess) is a historical title of nobility in certain European countries, varying in relative status, generally of middling rank in the hierarchy of nobility. Pine, L. G. ''Titles: How the King Became His Majesty''. New York: ...
and
politician A politician is a person active in party politics, or a person holding or seeking an elected office in government. Politicians propose, support, reject and create laws that govern the land and by an extension of its people. Broadly speaking, a ...
and son of
architect An architect is a person who plans, designs and oversees the construction of buildings. To practice architecture means to provide services in connection with the design of buildings and the space within the site surrounding the buildings that h ...
Nicodemus Tessin the Younger Count Nicodemus Tessin the Younger (May 23, 1654 – April 10, 1728) was a Swedish Baroque architect, city planner, and administrator. The son of Nicodemus Tessin the Elder and the father of Carl Gustaf Tessin, Tessin the Younger was the middle ...
and
Hedvig Eleonora Stenbock Hedvig Eleonora Stenbock (1658–1714) was a Swedish noblewoman and lady-in-waiting; daughter of Count Erik Stenbock and related to queen Katarina Stenbock; sister of the political salonist Magdalena Stenbock. Life She was described as beautiful ...
. He was one of the most brilliant personages of his day, and the most prominent representative of French culture in Sweden. He was also a fine orator. Tessin's art collection became the original core of the collection of Sweden's
Nationalmuseum Nationalmuseum (or National Museum of Fine Arts) is the national gallery of Sweden, located on the peninsula Blasieholmen in central Stockholm. The museum's operations stretches far beyond the borders of Blasieholmen, the nationalmuseum manag ...
.


Life

Carl Gustaf Tessin was born in
Stockholm Stockholm () is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in Sweden by population, largest city of Sweden as well as the List of urban areas in the Nordic countries, largest urban area in Scandinavia. Approximately 980,000 people liv ...
. His father's family were burghers, while his mother came from the nobility; one of his maternal great-great-grandmothers had been born a princess-duchess of Brunswick-Luneburg. This genealogy led some to regard him as "trash" and a social climber compared to real aristocracy. On the other hand, members of his paternal line had shown high talent artistically and aesthetically; designers, architects, and also political talent. He married Ulrika Sparre in 1727. He began his public career in 1723, at which time he was a member of the Holstein faction, which promoted the claims of the young Duke Carl Frederick of Holstein to the Swedish throne. In 1725 Tessin was appointed ambassador at
Vienna en, Viennese , iso_code = AT-9 , registration_plate = W , postal_code_type = Postal code , postal_code = , timezone = CET , utc_offset = +1 , timezone_DST ...
, and in that capacity counteracted the plans of the Swedish chancellor, Count
Arvid Horn Count Arvid Bernhard Horn af Ekebyholm (6 April 166418 April 1742) was a Swedish general, diplomat and politician, a member of the noble Horn family. He served twice as President of the Privy Council Chancellery (1710–1719 and 1720–1738) ...
, for joining the anti-Russian Hanoverian Alliance. During the
riksdag The Riksdag (, ; also sv, riksdagen or ''Sveriges riksdag'' ) is the legislature and the supreme decision-making body of Sweden. Since 1971, the Riksdag has been a unicameral legislature with 349 members (), elected proportionally and se ...
s of 1726–27 and 1731, Tessin fiercely opposed the government, and his wit, eloquence, and imposing presence made him one of the foremost protagonists of the party subsequently known as " The Hats". From 1735 to 1736 he was again Swedish ambassador at Vienna. During the riksdag of 1738 he was elected
marshal Marshal is a term used in several official titles in various branches of society. As marshals became trusted members of the courts of Medieval Europe, the title grew in reputation. During the last few centuries, it has been used for elevated o ...
of the
Riksdag of the Estates Riksdag of the Estates ( sv, Riksens ständer; informally sv, Ståndsriksdagen) was the name used for the Estates of Sweden when they were assembled. Until its dissolution in 1866, the institution was the highest authority in Sweden next to t ...
and contributed more than anyone else to the overthrow of the
Horn Horn most often refers to: *Horn (acoustic), a conical or bell shaped aperture used to guide sound ** Horn (instrument), collective name for tube-shaped wind musical instruments *Horn (anatomy), a pointed, bony projection on the head of various ...
administration the same year.
Count Count (feminine: countess) is a historical title of nobility in certain European countries, varying in relative status, generally of middling rank in the hierarchy of nobility. Pine, L. G. ''Titles: How the King Became His Majesty''. New York: ...
On the division of the spoil of
patronage Patronage is the support, encouragement, privilege, or financial aid that an organization or individual bestows on another. In the history of art, arts patronage refers to the support that kings, popes, and the wealthy have provided to artists su ...
he chose for himself the post of ambassador extraordinary at
Paris Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), making it the 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2020. S ...
, and from 1739 to 1742 delighted
Versailles The Palace of Versailles ( ; french: Château de Versailles ) is a former royal residence built by King Louis XIV located in Versailles, about west of Paris, France. The palace is owned by the French Republic and since 1995 has been managed, u ...
with his brilliant qualities of grand seigneur, at the same time renewing the traditional alliance between
France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...
and Sweden which had been interrupted for more than sixty years. His political ability, however, was by no means commensurate with his splendid social qualities. It was his sanguine credulity which committed the Hats to their rash and unconsidered war with
Russia Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a List of transcontinental countries, transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and North Asia, Northern Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, largest country in the ...
in 1741–42, though in fairness it must be added that Tessin helped them out of their difficulties again by his adroitness as party leader and his stirring eloquence. He gained his seat in the senate as a reward for his services on this occasion. In 1743 Tessin attempted to reconcile the long outstanding differences between Sweden and
Denmark ) , song = ( en, "King Christian stood by the lofty mast") , song_type = National and royal anthem , image_map = EU-Denmark.svg , map_caption = , subdivision_type = Sovereign state , subdivision_name = Danish Realm, Kingdom of Denmark ...
in a special mission to
Copenhagen Copenhagen ( or .; da, København ) is the capital and most populous city of Denmark, with a proper population of around 815.000 in the last quarter of 2022; and some 1.370,000 in the urban area; and the wider Copenhagen metropolitan ar ...
. In 1744 he was sent at the head of an extraordinary embassade to
Berlin Berlin ( , ) is the capital and largest city of Germany by both area and population. Its 3.7 million inhabitants make it the European Union's most populous city, according to population within city limits. One of Germany's sixteen constitue ...
to escort to
Stockholm Stockholm () is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in Sweden by population, largest city of Sweden as well as the List of urban areas in the Nordic countries, largest urban area in Scandinavia. Approximately 980,000 people liv ...
Frederick the Great Frederick II (german: Friedrich II.; 24 January 171217 August 1786) was King in Prussia from 1740 until 1772, and King of Prussia from 1772 until his death in 1786. His most significant accomplishments include his military successes in the Sil ...
's sister, Louisa Ulrika, the chosen bride of the Swedish crown prince, Adolphus Frederick. As ''överhovmarskalk'' of the young court, Tessin speedily captivated the royal pair. He also succeeded in extricating the crown prince from the influence of the Russian
Empress Elizabeth of Russia Elizabeth Petrovna (russian: Елизаве́та (Елисаве́та) Петро́вна) (), also known as Yelisaveta or Elizaveta, reigned as Empress of Russia from 1741 until her death in 1762. She remains one of the most popular List of ...
, to whom Adolphus Frederick owed his throne when he became
king of Sweden The monarchy of Sweden is the monarchical head of state of Sweden,See the Instrument of Government, Chapter 1, Article 5. which is a constitutional and hereditary monarchy with a parliamentary system.Parliamentary system: see the Instrument o ...
in 1751, thereby essentially contributing to the maintenance of the independence of Sweden. He was elected a member of the
Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences ( sv, Kungliga Vetenskapsakademien) is one of the Swedish Royal Academies, royal academies of Sweden. Founded on 2 June 1739, it is an independent, non-governmental scientific organization that takes special ...
in 1741. From 1746 to 1752 Tessin was president of the chancellery, as the Swedish prime minister was called in those days. His system aimed at a rapprochement with Denmark with the view of counterbalancing the influence of Russia in the north. It was a dignified and prudent policy, but his endeavour to consolidate it by promoting a matrimonial alliance between the two courts alienated the Swedish
crown prince A crown prince or hereditary prince is the heir apparent to the throne in a royal or imperial monarchy. The female form of the title is crown princess, which may refer either to an heiress apparent or, especially in earlier times, to the wif ...
, who, as a
Holstein Holstein (; nds, label=Northern Low Saxon, Holsteen; da, Holsten; Latin and historical en, Holsatia, italic=yes) is the region between the rivers Elbe and Eider. It is the southern half of Schleswig-Holstein, the northernmost state of German ...
er, nourished an ineradicable hatred of everything Danish. As, moreover, on the accession of Adolphus Frederick in 1751, Tessin refused to countenance any extension of the royal prerogative, the rupture between him and the court became final. On the occasion of the coronation (1752) he resigned the premiership, and in 1754 the governorship of the young crown prince Gustavus also, spending the rest of his days at his estate at
Åkerö Manor Åkerö Manor (''Åkerö slott'') is a manor house in Södermanland, Sweden. Although an estate with a history going back to the Middle Ages, the presently visible manor house complex was commissioned in 1748 (completed in 1752-1757) by Carl Gust ...
, where he died. He was given the L’Ordre de l’Harmonie.


Art collection

Carl Gustaf Tessin was also an art collector. During his mission in Paris he bought many paintings and drawings, including 2000 drawings from the famous 1741 auction of the former
Pierre Crozat Pierre Crozat (1665–1740) was a French financier, art patron and collector at the center of a broad circle of ''cognoscenti''; he was the brother of Antoine Crozat. Biography The brothers Crozat were born in Toulouse, France, the sons of a we ...
collection. Being heavily in debt on his return to Sweden, he was obliged to sell part of his collection to the then King Fredrik I, who gave them to Queen Louisa Ulrika. Part of his art collection is now in the Swedish
Nationalmuseum Nationalmuseum (or National Museum of Fine Arts) is the national gallery of Sweden, located on the peninsula Blasieholmen in central Stockholm. The museum's operations stretches far beyond the borders of Blasieholmen, the nationalmuseum manag ...
. The collection was on display in New York at the
Morgan Library & Museum The Morgan Library & Museum, formerly the Pierpont Morgan Library, is a museum and research library in the Murray Hill neighborhood of Manhattan in New York City. It is situated at 225 Madison Avenue, between 36th Street to the south and 37th S ...
, "Treasures from the Nationalmuseum of Sweden: The Collections of Count Tessin."


Principal works by Tessin

*''Tessin och Tessiniana'' (1st ed. Stockholm, 1819), autobiographical extracts from Tessin's voluminous manuscript ''Memoirs'' in 29 volumes. *''K. G. Tessins Dagbok'' (Stockholm, 1824), further extracts from the same. *''En gammal mans bref til en ung Prins'' (Stockholm, 1753; English editions, 1755 and 1756), addressed to his pupil, afterwards
Gustavus III Gustav III (29 March 1792), also called ''Gustavus III'', was King of Sweden from 1771 until his assassination in 1792. He was the eldest son of Adolf Frederick of Sweden and Queen Louisa Ulrika of Prussia. Gustav was a vocal opponent of what h ...
.


Notes


References

*Exhibition catalogue, ''Un Suédois à Paris au XVIIIe siècle – La collection Tessin'', Paris, coédition Liénart/Musée du Louvre, 2016. *Bellamy Charlotte, Carl Gustav Tessin and Culinary Considerations, ''Le Monde français du dix-huitième siècle'': Vol. 1 : Iss. 1, 2016. *Bellamy Charlotte, Contes suédois, les histoires de Charles-Gustave, Paris, Michel de Maule, 2021. ` * This work in turn cites: **
Robert Nisbet Bain Robert Nisbet Bain (1854–1909) was a British historian and linguist who worked for the British Museum. Life Bain was born in London in 1854 to David and Elizabeth (born Cowan) Bain. Bain was a fluent linguist who could use over twenty la ...
(1895), ''Gustavus III and his Contemporaries'', vol. I (London). **
Bernhard von Beskow Bernhard von Beskow (19 April 179617 October 1868) was a Swedish dramatist and historian. Born in Stockholm and the son of a merchant, his vocation for literature was assisted by his tutor, the poet Johan Magnus Stjernstolpe (1777–1831), wh ...
(1864). ''Minne af Grefve K. G. Tessin'' (Stockholm). **Malmström, Bernhard Elis (1893–1901). ''Sveriges politiska historia från Konung Karl XIIs död till statshvälfningen 1772'' (Stockholm).


External links


"The Art Collection of Carl Gustaf Tessin"
Nationalmuseum, Stockholm

(in Swedish), Åkerö Säteri, Bettna
"Carl Gustaf Tessin"
(in Swedish), Tessinsallskapet

http://correspondence.linnean-online.org/3516/] Correspondence with Linnaeus, Linnean Society, London
Carl Gustaf Tessin"
(in Swedish), National Library of Sweden
LIBRIS
in: ''
Nordisk familjebok ''Nordisk familjebok'' (, "Nordic Family Book") is a Swedish encyclopedia that was published in print from between 1876 and 1993, and that is now fully available in digital form via Project Runeberg at Linköping University. Despite their consi ...
'' (1919) {{DEFAULTSORT:Tessin, Carl Gustaf 1695 births 1770 deaths Politicians from Stockholm Swedish nobility Swedish people of German descent Lord Marshals of the Riksdag of the Estates Members of the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences 18th-century Swedish politicians Ambassadors of Sweden to France Ambassadors of Sweden to Austria 18th-century diplomats Age of Liberty people