Chancellor of the Realm, Count Axel Oxenstierna

David Beck has depicted the powerful Swedish Chancellor Axel Oxenstierna (1583-1654) in his later years. At the time of the artist’s arrival, the Chancellor was nearly 70 years old, and Beck has in this intriguing portrait entirely focused on showing the wise and masterful parts of his personality. All details in the simple black dress and the dark background are excluded.

The portrait, which originally belonged to Queen Christina, was included among the paintings that she brought with her to Rome after her abdication in 1654.