Christian von Thum
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Christian von Thum or Christian von Thum (I)[1] (c. 1625 in Kalmar – 12 August 1686 in Stockholm) was a Swedish innkeeper, still life painter, decorative painter, set painter, copyist and art agent.[2] His known works include vanitas still lifes and still lifes with foodstuffs, paintings of hermits and religious paintings.[2]
He was born in Kalmar around 1625 as the son of the innkeeper and well-known actor Christian Thum who was originally from Germany. In 1655 he married Anna Catharina Keijser, daughter of the prominent book printer Hindrich Keijser. Their sons Christian and Henrik (Hindrich) also became artists.[2]
He was probably taught how to paint by Jacob Heinrich Elbfas or Johan Assman in Stockholm. He is mentioned as a master painter at the Stockholm painters' guild in 1655.[3] In the 1650s he was commissioned by Countess Maria Sophia De la Gardie, the sister of Count Magnus Gabriel De la Gardie, a Swedish statesman and military man, to work on a number of painting and gilding commissions. He worked in 1663 on a commission for Countess Sigrid Bielke, the wife of Gustav Horn, Count of Pori.[2] In 1664, he was hired by the Dowager Queen Hedvig Eleonora to create a scene decorated with flowers made of paper, wax, gold leaf and larch for a production of the ballet The Four Seasons at the castle. in 1667 he restored about 30 portrait paintings kept at Uppsala Castle.[3]
He travelled around 1668 to the Spanish Netherlands where he bought works of art for Magnus Gabriel De la Gardie and the Dowager Queen Hedvig Eleonora, amongst others. He took over his father's inn in Stockholm and was mentioned among the innkeepers in Stockholm in 1671.[3]
He worked on an altarpiece for the church of Arboga in 1672.[2] In 1675 he worked, together with Johan Göransson and Jochim Langh, on the regilding of the coronation chair for Charles XI's coronation in Uppsala. In 1683-1684 he collaborated with Johan Hafwersatt on the decorative elements at the Maria Magdalena Church in Stockholm which was at the time being rebuilt.[2][3]
