Artist unspecified (Baltic region (?), 2nd quarter of 17th century), Portrait of King Gustav II Adolf of Sweden

oil, duplicated canvas; dimensions 75 x 63 cm
on the face on the right side, over the shoulder of the portrait subject, the inscription "Gostaves Adolfes"
state of preservation: after conservation
the painting is accompanied by the opinion of Dorota Juszczak and Hanna Małachowicz

"The portrait is a rare in Gustavus Adolphus iconography depiction of the ruler at a young age. It differs significantly from the well-known images of the king from the late 1720s, popularized especially by the version by Dutch painter Michiel Jansz. van Miereveldt and its repetitions, made by his disciples and imitators, in which the face is marked by age, much fuller, while the lush beard is formed in the shape commonly known as the "Spanish beard."
"Gustav II Adolphus (1594-1632) of the Vasa dynasty, son of Charles IX of Suderman, king of Sweden from 1611. He was the founder of Sweden's military power in the 17th century, expanded the army and modernized its organization, and contributed to the development of the educational system in Sweden, including reforming the famous Uppsala University. He waged wars with Denmark, Moscow and Poland, as a result of which he expanded the territory of his kingdom to include lands captured on the eastern shores of the Baltic Sea. With Poland he waged wars in 1617-1622, 1625-1629. The latter, which ended with the Peace of Altmark, provided Sweden with revenue from Danzig customs. Gustavus Adolphus fell in a battle with imperial troops at Lützen."
excerpts from an opinion piece by Dorota Juszczak and Hanna Małachowicz