Gustav III, King of Sweden, in a Gustavus Adolphus inspired dress

Knee high portrait of the Swedish King Gustav III in a palace like interior, a fluted column to the right, an upholstered chair to the left. The colours are pale in tones of blue, yellow and light grey. The King is looking to his right side, his hand on his chest, while his left hand carries a plumed hat. His dress looks much like the fashion of 17th century period of the hero King Gustavus Adolphus with the comparatively short yellowish waist coat and wide grey trousers, just as the preserved ones in the Royal Armoury. A rumour says that the theatre loving King Gustav III dressed like this when planning the war against Russia in 1788. The painting is unsigned, but according to the text engraved into the brass plate on the frame it is attributed to Gustaf Lundberg 1696-1786 – a well known portrait painter of the second half of the 18th century, particularly well known for his portraits in pastel painting. However, as the painting is rather stiff and clumsily executed it is not likely that its painter was Lundberg.