How many know that Sweden houses the world’s largest collection of Adriaen de Vries’s sculptures? Right here, on Drottningholmsmalmen, sits Museum de Vries. This museum is a Swedish state-owned sculpture museum. It is dedicated to the works of Adriaen de Vries.
Museum de Vries resides in the former Dragonstallet. This is near Drottningholm Palace. The museum operates under the Drottningholm Palace Administration. Adriaen de Vries was one of Europe’s leading sculptors. He worked in the late 1500s and early 1600s. The sculptures within Museum de Vries belong to the Swedish state. They are managed through the National Museum.
The museum displays fourteen bronze sculptures by Adriaen de Vries. These sculptures became war booty during the Thirty Years’ War. Swedish armies seized them in Prague in 1648. Karl X Gustav also took some during his raid on Frederiksborg Castle in Denmark in 1659.
From the 1680s, the sculptures graced Drottningholm Palace’s garden. Today, you’ll find them in Museum de Vries and storage. Replicas from the 1990s and early 2000s now stand in the palace park.
The Dragonstallet itself has a history. It was built in the 1810s. It housed about 100 horses for the dragoon corps. The National Property Board Sweden manages it. After World War II, it served as a sheep barn and storage. It was renovated from 1999 to 2001. The ground floor became Museum de Vries. Notably, wooden pillars with dragon horse bite marks remain in the exhibition hall.
Museum de Vries opened its doors in May 2001. Since 2008, it has been open to the public only one day a year. Group tours are available at other times.
Most of the original de Vries sculptures were cast using the lost-wax technique. Albrecht von Wallenstein originally owned them. They were located in Wallenstein Garden in Prague. Since the early 1900s, copies have been displayed there. The Neptune Fountain at Frederiksborg Castle has also been reconstructed. Carl Jacobsen funded this reconstruction after a devastating fire in 1859.
Among the sculptures in Museum de Vries are impressive pieces. There’s Neptune with a trident. It stands 206 cm tall and weighs two tons. It dates back to 1617. It was originally part of the Neptune Fountain at Frederiksborg Castle. Fama with a lion stands 119 cm tall. It was created between 1615 and 1618. It also belonged to the Neptune Fountain. A river god with an urn represents one of three ages. It also comes from the Neptune Fountain.
Other notable works include a rearing horse attacked by a snake from 1622. Laocoön and His Sons is a powerful piece from 1623. Bacchus with a Young Satyr dates to 1624. Venus and Adonis and a Wrestler followed in 1624 and 1625. There is also Apollo with a bow. Furthermore, Neptune with a trident and dog was cast in 1627. It was intended for a Neptune Fountain in Prague. A Seated Woman with a Goose and a Seated River God with a Trident and Urn were also planned for that fountain.
Stepping into Museum de Vries is entering a realm where 17th-century artistry lives on. Each sculpture tells a story of war, royal acquisition, and artistic genius. The Museum de Vries is an unmissable destination for art lovers. It offers a unique glimpse into a fascinating chapter of European history.