The idea must have come from the association Avlidna Salakonstnärers Sällskap and former politician Glenn Andersson, who thought there should be a portrait of Queen Kristina in the City Hall. This became a spring salon, open to anyone with any kind of connection to Sala.
– The commitment has been enormous. A total of 106 artists have submitted 162 portraits of Queen Kristina, says Johnny Ekman, Deceased Salakonstnärers Sällskap.
A winner praised
The exhibition runs until April 6, but the winner, who will receive SEK 20,000 and a place in the Town Hall, was already appointed last weekend and it was Bertil Forsberg.
– He took a fashion picture from a weekly magazine and transferred it to the Queen’s profile and it was very successful, says Johnny Ekman.
According to Sala’s municipal director Daniel Holmvin, who sat on the jury, the winning entry conveyed determination to the queen.
– The queen has a determined look and a confident mouth, which brought to mind how she abandoned Protestantism for Catholicism and left Sweden for Rome. The hair stood up on the back of my neck when we saw Bertil’s painting.
Were there paintings that were not up for selection as winners?
– After all, we have civil weddings and other things in the town hall, so it was also about what fits and doesn’t fit.
A traditional jury
Johnny Ekman says he has all the respect that the jury went on the slightly more traditional track and believes that it was perhaps lucky that he himself was not there to decide.
– If I had been allowed to decide, it would have been a little wilder, but that depends on my knowledge and not concern for Sala, says Johnny Ekman.
Until April 6, a vote is also taking place among all visitors to the spring salon, who will nominate their ten favourites.
In the clip, SVT checks how Sala’s artists have treated Queen Kristina.