Adolf Ulrik Schützercrantz (25 March 1802 – 9 October 1854) was a Swedish artist and military officer. He served in the Second Life Guards regiment between 1819 and 1851, and was awarded theOrder of the Sword in 1839. At the same time, he was active as an artist. He worked in several techniques, producing topographical views, scenes from everyday life, illustrations of costumes andmilitary uniforms, and travel sketches. He was co-founder of the predecessor of the present-day Swedish Association for Art and for a time its secretary. He also participated in the organisation of what would later become the museumLivrustkammaren.
Adolf Ulrik Schützercrantz's father wasrear admiralJohan Herman Schützercrantz, who in his youth had fought as a volunteer in the French navy during theAmerican Revolutionary War; he participated in theBattle of the Chesapeake and was later taken prisoner by the British.[1] Adolf Ulrik's grandfatherHerman Schützercrantz [sv] was a prominent surgeon and member of theRoyal Swedish Academy of Sciences. He was a member of theSwedish nobility (friherre); the family originally came fromGdańsk.[2]
He was enrolled in the military at the age of ten,[3][4] and became acadet at theMilitary Academy Karlberg in 1816. He graduated in 1819 and became afänrik at theSecond Life Guards [sv] regiment the same year. He would remain there throughout his life, reaching the rank of major upon his retirement from the regiment in 1851. He was awarded theOrder of the Sword in 1839.[3]
He died inStockholm in 1854, ofcholera.[3]
In parallel to his military career, Schützercrantz also pursued his artistic interests. He lacked a formal education in art. To some extent he was taught draughtsmanship at the Military Academy, in connection with studies in e.g.cartography andfortification. He may have been privately tutored byJohan Fredrik Julin [sv]. He mostly seems to have been anautodidact, however.[4]
He worked in several techniques, but became most recognised for reproductions of his works inlithography. Typically, the subject matters of Schützercrantz' works are depictions of everyday life, sometimes comical (to some extent in the style ofThomas Rowlandson); city scenes or landscapes in the tradition ofPehr Hilleström andElias Martin; and illustrations of costumes andmilitary uniforms for printed publications.[4][5]
He made several long journeys, during which he produced drawings andwatercolours, and was among the first "tourist artists" of Sweden.[4]In 1829, he thus travelled within Sweden (toDalarna andNorrland); in 1833 he went toSaxony andPrussia, and the following year to France and Italy. His longest journey, in 1838, brought him viaSpain,Portugal andMalta toGreece, western Turkey andEgypt. He was among the first Swedes sinceMatthias Palbitzki (1623–1677) to bring back drawings and sketches from Greece and theNear East to Sweden.[4]
He participated in the annual exhibition of theRoyal Swedish Academy of Fine Arts for the first time in 1826. In 1832 he was among the co-founders of the predecessor of the present-daySwedish Association for Art [sv]; he became the association's secretary in 1848.[4][5] He also helped organise what would shortly afterwards become the museumLivrustkammaren.[6]
Media related toAdolf Ulrik Schützercrantz at Wikimedia Commons