Carl Skånberg (1850–1883) - Kastellet, View of Kastellholmen from Skeppsholmen, c. late

Carl Skånberg (1850–1883) Sweden
Kastellet, View of Kastellholmen from Skeppsholmen, c. late 1870s

signed lower right
oil on canvas
unframed 37 × 50 cm (14.6 × 19.7 in)
framed 51.5 × 63 cm (20.3 × 24.8 in)

This painting depicts Kastellholmen as seen from Skeppsholmen, rendered under a moonlit sky. The fortress tower of Kastellet rises in silhouette against drifting clouds, its solid mass anchoring the composition. Around the island, some sailing vessels and smaller boats lie quietly at anchor, their masts and rigging cutting delicate lines against the darkened sky. The moon hangs low above the horizon, partially veiled by clouds, and casts a silvery reflection across the rippling surface of the water. This reflected light becomes the compositional and emotional focus of the painting, guiding the viewer’s eye through the scene and lending the harbor a sense of calm, suspended time.

Skånberg’s handling of light is particularly refined in this work. The contrast between the cool, bluish moonlight and the warmer, subdued tones of the shoreline and vessels creates a subtle chiaroscuro effect. The water is painted with fluid, horizontal brushstrokes that capture the gentle movement of the harbor, while the sky is built up with softer, layered strokes that convey drifting clouds and atmospheric depth. Despite the relatively modest scale, the painting achieves a remarkable sense of space and mood. The scene feels intimate yet expansive, suggesting the quiet grandeur of Stockholm’s maritime heart at night.

Carl Skånberg was one of the most gifted and promising Swedish painters of his generation. Born in Norrköping in 1850, he studied at the Royal Swedish Academy of Fine Arts before traveling to Paris and later to Italy, where he absorbed the influence of plein air painting and the emerging Impressionist interest in light and atmosphere. Skånberg was among the earliest Scandinavian artists to work consistently from direct observation, seeking to capture transient effects of weather, light, and time of day. His works from the late 1870s, including Kastellet, demonstrate a growing fascination with evening and night scenes, in which light becomes the primary narrative element.

Tragically, Skånberg’s career was cut short by illness, and he died in Rome in 1883 at only thirty two years of age. Despite his brief life, he left a body of work that played a significant role in the transition toward a more modern, light focused landscape painting in Sweden. His moonlit harbor scenes, such as this view of Kastellholmen, stand as some of the most poetic expressions of his art. They combine careful observation with an almost lyrical sensitivity, revealing Skånberg’s exceptional ability to transform a familiar urban motif into a deeply atmospheric and emotionally resonant image.

Provenance
A private collection, Djursholm, Sweden