King Charles XV of Sweden and Prince Oscar with Adjutants

Fritz Ludvig von Dardel (24 March 1817 – 27 May 1901) was a Swedish diarist, illustrator and early comics artist. He was a courtier, and is known for his diary and illustrations depicting the life of the Swedish court in the mid-19th century.

Biography

Fritz von Dardel was born in

Neuchâtel Neuchâtel (, ; ; ) is a list of towns in Switzerland, town, a Municipalities of Switzerland, municipality, and the capital (political), capital of the cantons of Switzerland, Swiss canton of Neuchâtel (canton), Neuchâtel on Lake Neuchâtel ...

to the Swiss noble Georges-Alexandre von Dardel, who was inducted into the Swedish nobility in 1810, and the Swedish noble Hedvig Sofia Charlotta Amalia Lewenhaupt, and married the Swedish noble Augusta Silfverschiöld. He became

adjutant Adjutant is a military appointment given to an Officer (armed forces), officer who assists the commanding officer with unit administration, mostly the management of “human resources” in an army unit. The term is used in French-speaking armed ...

to the Crown Prince, later King

Charles XV of Sweden Charles XV or Carl (''Carl Ludvig Eugen''; Swedish language, Swedish and Norwegian language, Norwegian officially: ''Karl''; 3 May 1826 – 18 September 1872) was King of Sweden and List of Norwegian monarchs, Norway, there often referred to as C ...

, in 1850. He was a personal friend of Charles XV aside from having several court offices, and both professionally and privately he often attended court during the reign of Charles, and his published diary is a valuable description of the Swedish court and its personages in the mid 19th-century. von Dardel was military attaché in Paris from 1852 to 1862 and became chamberlain of Charles XV's cabinet in 1864. He was also chairman of the

Nationalmuseum Nationalmuseum is the List of national galleries, national gallery of fine arts of Sweden, located on the peninsula Blasieholmen in central Stockholm. The museum's operations stretch far beyond the borders of Blasieholmen, including the Natio ...

's board from 1867 to 1892. At several art exhibitions in Europe (1867, 1871, 1873 and 1878) as well as in Philadelphia (1876), von Dardel was the juryman, and he himself had studied studies at Léon Cogniets and E. Lami's studios in Paris. Fritz von Dardel is known for his drawings and diary depicting the life at the contemporary Swedish royal court, especially during the reign of Charles XV. He became a member of the

Royal Swedish Academy of Arts The Royal Swedish Academy of Fine Arts (), commonly called the Royal Academy, is located in Stockholm, Sweden. An independent organization that promotes the development of painting, sculpture, architecture, and other fine arts, it is one of seve ...

in 1861.

Comics

Many of von Dardel's caricatures were made in series in order to tell a (comic) story together with short accompanying texts. They were early examples of cartoon series, probably inspired by his Swiss compatriot

Rodolphe Töpffer Rodolphe Töpffer ( ; ; 31 January 1799 – 8 June 1846) was a Swiss teacher, author, painter, cartoonist, and caricaturist. He is best known for his illustrated books (''littérature en estampes'', " graphic literature"), which are possibly ...

. His works are represented in the

Stockholm City Museum The Stockholm City Museum () is a museum documenting, preserving and exhibiting the history of Stockholm. The museum is housed in Södra Stadshuset at Slussen on Södermalm. History The building was completed in 1685. In the 1930s the museum m ...

, Kalmar Art Museum, and Nationalmuseum.

Gallery

File:Fritz von Dardel-Skeppsbron vid Gustav IIIs staty-1860.jpg, Johan Tobias Sergels statue over

Gustav 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 King Adolf Frederick and Queen Louisa Ulrika of Sweden. Gustav was a vocal opponent of what he saw ...

Skeppsbron Skeppsbron ( Swedish: "The Ship's Bridge") is both a street and a quay in Gamla stan, the old town of Stockholm, capital of Sweden, stretching from the bridge Strömbron in front of the Royal Palace southward to Slussen. The quay Skeppsbrok ...

in Stockholm (1860) File:Drottning Josefinas kröning 28 september 1844.jpg, The coronation of Queen Josephine in 1844. File:Strömparterren tecknad av Dardel 1841.jpg, Strömparterren 1841. File:Duell (Fritz von Dardel, 1857).jpg, The duel between Mr. Baker and Soto Maior 1857. File:Carl Johan caricature by Fritz von Dardel.png,

Charles XIV John Charles XIV John (; 26 January 1763 – 8 March 1844) was King of Sweden and Norway from 1818 until his death in 1844 and the first monarch of the Bernadotte dynasty. In Norway, he is known as Charles III John () and before he became royalty in ...

inspects his troops. File:Desideria caricature by Fritz von Dardel.png, Caricature of Queen Mother

Désirée Clary Bernardine Eugénie Désirée Clary (; 8 November 1777 – 17 December 1860) was Queen of Sweden and Norway from 5 February 1818 to 8 March 1844 as the wife of King Charles XIV John. Charles John was a French general and founder of the House o ...

. File:Husaga (teckning av Fritz von Dardel).jpg, "Corporal punishment in the home". File:Dardel, Fritz von (self-portrait).jpg, Self-portrait in younger days. File:Luciafirande_på_Koberg_i_Västergötland_1848._Fritz_von_Dardel_-_Nordiska_Museet_-_NMA.0033692.jpg,

Saint Lucy's Day Saint Lucy's Day, also called the Feast of Saint Lucy, is a Christian feast day observed on 13 December. The observance commemorates Lucia of Syracuse, an early-fourth-century virgin martyr under the Diocletianic Persecution. According to l ...

celebrations at Koberg Castle in

Västergötland Västergötland (), also known as West Gothland or the Latinized version Westrogothia in older literature, is one of the 25 traditional non-administrative provinces of Sweden (''landskap'' in Swedish), situated in the southwest of Sweden. Vä ...

1848. Watercolor File:Under_Marsoroligheterna_i_Stockholm_1848._Fritz_von_Dardel_-_Nordiska_Museet_-_NMA.0035335.jpg,

March Unrest The March Unrest ( ) Sometimes called "the battle for Stockholm" was a brief series of riots which occurred in the Swedish capital Stockholm during the Revolutions of 1848. History On 2 March 1848, news of the French Revolution of 1848 reached ...

in Stockholm 1848 File:Första_dansen._Bondbröllop_vid_Hjula_i_Södermanland._Fritz_von_Dardel,_1837_-_Nordiska_Museet_-_NMA.0037691.jpg, First dance. Farmers' wedding at Hjula in

Södermanland Södermanland ( ), locally Sörmland, sometimes referred to under its Latinisation of names, Latinized form Sudermannia or Sudermania, is a Provinces of Sweden, historical province (or ) on the south eastern coast of Sweden. It borders Österg� ...

1837 File:Kronprins_Karl,_sedermera_kung_Karl_XV._Fritz_von_Dardel,_1849_-_Nordiska_Museet_-_NMA.0032206.jpg, Crown Prince

Charles Charles is a masculine given name predominantly found in English language, English and French language, French speaking countries. It is from the French form ''Charles'' of the Proto-Germanic, Proto-Germanic name (in runic alphabet) or ''* ...

. Watercolor 1849 File:Gästgivaregård_i_Halland,_1863._Fritz_von_Dardel_-_Nordiska_Museet_-_NMA.0029088.jpg, Inn in Halland, 1863 File:Hur_långt_ha_vi_fram?._Fritz_von_Dardel,_1839_-_Nordiska_Museet_-_NMA.0023952.jpg, "Hur långt ha vi fram?" 1839 File:Ratan-1870.jpg, The harbor of Ratan in the 1870s. Drawing in Ny Illustrerad Tidning File:Berattelser af Onkel Adam-1854.jpg, "Låt bli mig vilddjur!" Book illustration from ''Berättelser af Onkel Adam'' by Carl Anton Wetterbergh 1854. File:Ett frieri. Pauverstråhles hjerta blir förkastadt af hela familjen. Fritz von Dardel - Nordiska Museet - NMA.0043685.jpg, "Ett frieri. Pauverstråhles hjerta blir förkastadt af hela familjen." Example of early comics by von Dardel. File:Teckning, Fritz von Dardel. En kvinna fäster en blomma på en herres rockslag - Nordiska Museet - NMA.0036002.jpg, A woman fastens a flower on the lapel of a gentleman File:Teckning, Fritz von Dardel, 1884. Promenad drägten kläder Anna bäst - Nordiska Museet - NMA.0035994.jpg, "Promenad drägten kläder Anna bäst" File:Rome 1843. Kvinna i folklig dräkt. Akvarell av Fritz von Dardel, 1843 - Nordiska Museet - NMA.0037585.jpg, "Rome 1843. Woman in folk costume." Watercolor 1843 File:När pengarna togo slut, betalte vi vår skjuts med kappkragen. Fritz von Dardel, 1837 - Nordiska Museet - NMA.0053062.jpg, "När pengarna togo slut, betalte vi vår skjuts med kappkragen" File:Sparfs äventyr. Unge Sparf kommer hem till familjen, som färdig officer. Tusch av Fritz von Dardel, 1840 - Nordiska Museet - NMA.0043687.jpg, "Unge Sparf kommer hem till familjen, som färdig officer." Ink 1840

Bibliography

*Teckningar ur dagens händelser : serie A - F.. Sthlm & Göteborg. 1848-1852. *Ett besök i Malmö läger. Malmö. 1848. *Gubben med skåpet : scener ur svenska hvardagslifvet. tockholm 1849. *Familjen Tutings lustresa till Bomarsund. tockholm 1853. *En familj från landet på besök i hufvudstaden. tockholm 1856. *Svenska och norska rméenarmeerna samt flottorna i essderas nuvarande uniformering. Stockholm. 1861-1863. *Ett besök i Nationalmuseum. Aftryck ur Post- och inrikes tidningar. Stockholm. 1865. *International Exhibition of 1871 (1872). Internationela utställningen i London 1871. 1, Konst och konst-industri : redogörelse. Stockholm: Norstedt. *Dagblads-annonser. Stockholm. 1875. *Marionetter : pennritningar. tockholm 1876. *Åtgärder vidtagna i några af Europas länder för konstindustriens befrämjande : reseberättelse. Stockholm: Centraltryckeriet. 1878. *Minnen. Stockholm: Norstedt. 1911-1913. **Del 1, 1833-1861. 1911. **Del 2, 1863-1865. 1912. **Del 3, 1866-1870. 1912. **Del 4, 1871-1872 ; Jämte personregister till delarna 1-4. 1913. *Dagboksanteckningar. Stockholm: Norstedt. 1916-1920. ** 1873-1876. 1916. ** 1877-1880. 1918. ** 1881-1885. 1920. *Minnen från senare år, 1888-1898. Stockholm: Norstedt. 1931. *Ur Fritz von Dardels album : bilder ur sällskaps- och militärlifvet från adertonhundratalets midt. Stockholm: Norstedt. 1915. *Färg och form, Malmtorgsgatan 10, november 1940 : minnesutställning Fritz von Dardel (1817-1901). Katalog 07 Stockholm. 1940. *När var tar sin. Stockholm: Carlsson. 1988. *Herrar Black & Smith på väg till Skandinavien. Stockholm: Carlsson. 1991. *Fritz von Dardels Gubben med skåpet : en svensk serieklassiker från 1849 ; ith English text Magister Lämpels bibliotek, 99-2988643-5. Malmö: Seriefrämjandet. 2003.

References

Nordisk familjebok / Uggleupplagan. 5. Cestius - Degas
{{DEFAULTSORT:Dardel, Fritz von 1817 births 1901 deaths Members of the Royal Swedish Academy of Arts 19th-century Swedish illustrators Swedish comics artists Swedish caricaturists Swedish civil servants Swedish Army colonels Swedish military attachés

Fritz Fritz is a common German language, German male name. The name originated as a German diminutive of Friedrich (given name), Friedrich or Frederick (given name), Frederick (''Der Alte Fritz'', and ''Stary Fryc'' were common nicknames for King Fred ...

19th-century Swedish military personnel 19th-century Swedish diarists Burials at Norra begravningsplatsen Swedish courtiers