Updated November 2026 · ranked by our popularity score (searches, visits and orders for each work) · 34 works by August Malmström in our catalogue
In short
Of all the originals August Malmström left, the most famous is Frithiof kommer till Kung Ring (ur Frithiofs saga) (1880), in the collection of the Nationalmuseum, Stockholm. Close behind it come Kung Rings död (ur Frithiofs saga) (1884) and King Bele and Thorsten Vikingsson (1880). Our catalog holds 34 works by August Malmström; the gallery has kept the 34 the world admires most, each shown with its date, its museum and its story.
The air in the cavernous hall feels heavy, thick with the scent of damp stone and animal fur. A single, imposing figure breaks the stillness, standing tall against the gloom. He is draped in heavy pelts that catch the flickering light of the torches. To his right, a group of seated figures huddles around a table, their faces partially lost to the deep shadows. The light does not wash over…
The air inside the wooden chamber feels heavy, thick with the scent of old timber and the stillness of an ending. A man sits slumped, his body surrendering to a weight that no physical strength can lift. He is a figure of fading vitality, caught in the quiet gravity of his own passing. Around him, the shadows cling to the carved wall panels, retreating into the corners of the room.…
The air in the room feels heavy, thick with the scent of damp fur and old wood. Five men occupy a dim, rustic interior, their bodies arranged in a tight semi-circle that traps the viewer within their tension. A single, unseen light source from the left carves deep shadows into the hollows of their faces, highlighting the grit of their skin and the coarse texture of their garments. King Bele…
The air in the room feels heavy, thick with the sudden weight of tragedy. A dim, rustic interior holds the three figures in a suffocating embrace of shadow and light. Ingeborg collapses, her body yielding to the crushing force of the news. She is the center of this storm, a woman caught in the instant where life as she knows it ends. An elderly man leans into her, his weathered…
The sun hangs low, casting a heavy, amber glow across a quiet meadow. In this soft light, an elderly man sits with a long, white beard that catches the fading warmth. He wears a dark tunic and a red cap, his fingers poised over the strings of a large, ornate golden harp. Beside him, a young girl rests against the earth. She is dressed in simple white, her presence a…
The work is an example of academic realism, a style that emphasizes precise representation and technical skill. The subject matter suggests a moment of historical or mythological significance, characterized by a sense of gravity and solemnity. The composition uses strong lines to guide the eye from the foreground figure upward toward the imposing statue, creating a vertical movement within the frame. The atmosphere is heavy, shaped by the interplay of…
The air in the room feels heavy, thick with the scent of old wood and the unspoken weight of a strategic game. Three men occupy a dimly lit, rustic interior, their figures arranged in a tight, triangular composition that pulls the eye toward the center of the struggle. Two men sit at a small table, their faces illuminated by a soft, low-key light that seems to bleed in from an…
In this somber scene from 1895, we find ourselves within a dimly lit, rustic interior that feels heavy with the weight of history. The composition centers on a woman caught in a moment of intense emotional outburst, her head tilted back as she asserts herself against the tension of the room. To her side, a large, bearded man reacts to her sudden movement, his posture taut and unyielding. The atmosphere…
Odysseus before Alcinous, King of the Phaeacians is a painting by the Swedish artist August Malmström. Created about 1853, this work depicts a scene from Greek mythology within an interior setting. The composition focuses on the interaction between a kneeling man and a seated royal figure alongside a woman. The scene is rendered with precise brushwork and realistic anatomical proportions, characteristic of the Neoclassical and Academic styles of the mid-19th…
is an oil on canvas created by the Swedish painter August Malmström. Dated 1880, the work functions as an illustration for Frithiofs saga. The piece captures a specific moment within the narrative of this Norse legend.
Frithiof Goes Into Exile1884 · Nationalmuseum
12
Balders bål (ur Frithiofs saga)1884 · Nationalmuseum
13
Frithiof's Return1880 · Nationalmuseum
14
Ingeborg's Lament1880 · Nationalmuseum
15
Farewell1880 · Nationalmuseum
16
Frithiof's Courtship1880 · Nationalmuseum
17
Frithiof and Ingeborg1880 · Nationalmuseum
18
Illustration for Njal’s Saga1897 · Nationalmuseum
19
Illustration for Njal’s Saga1895 · Nationalmuseum
20
Njal, Bergthora and Thord Karisson Decide to be Burned Alive. Illustration for Njal’s Saga, ch. 1291895 · Nationalmuseum
21
A modern Blenda1901
22
Frithiofs lycka (ur Frithiofs saga)1880 · Nationalmuseum
23
Title in Swedish: Älvalek1866 · Nationalmuseum
24
The Ride of the Valkyries. Study for The Battle of Bråvalla1859 · Nationalmuseum
25
The Horse-Fight at Hlidarendi1897 · Nationalmuseum
26
ElfFinnish National Gallery
27
Weaving Vadmal
28
The GameNationalmuseum
29
The Tell-TaleNationalmuseum
30
Tobias healing his blind father's eyes
31
The Battle of Bråvalla. StudyNationalmuseum
32
The old and the young Sweden1894
33
The Battle of Bråvalla1862
34
Grindslanten1885
The four subjects that come back most often in these originals, each with its finest example.
The 2 museums that hold the most of the paintings on this page.
| Museum | City | Works by August Malmström | Paintings from this list |
|---|---|---|---|
 Nationalmuseum |
Stockholm | 27 | Frithiof kommer till Kung Ring (ur Frithiofs saga), Kung Rings död (ur Frithiofs saga), King Bele and Thorsten Vikingsson |
 Finnish National Gallery |
Helsinki | 1 | Elf |
Pick a decade to see the original that defines it.
The air in the room feels heavy, thick with the sudden weight of tragedy. A dim, rustic interior holds the three figures in a suffocating embrace of shadow and light. Ingeborg collapses, her body yielding to the crushing force of the news. She is the center of this storm, a woman caught in the instant where life as she knows it ends. An elderly man leans into her, his weathered…
In the quietude of a moonlit Swedish landscape, where the boundaries between reality and folklore dissolve, lies August Malmström’s enchanting masterpiece, Älvalek (Dancing Fairies). Created in 1866, this painting serves as a breathtaking portal into the heart of National Romanticism. The scene unfolds along a serene river that flows sedately through a darkened landscape, illuminated only by the ethereal glow of the moon. As the eye wanders across the canvas,…
The air in the cavernous hall feels heavy, thick with the scent of damp stone and animal fur. A single, imposing figure breaks the stillness, standing tall against the gloom. He is draped in heavy pelts that catch the flickering light of the torches. To his right, a group of seated figures huddles around a table, their faces partially lost to the deep shadows. The light does not wash over…
In this somber scene from 1895, we find ourselves within a dimly lit, rustic interior that feels heavy with the weight of history. The composition centers on a woman caught in a moment of intense emotional outburst, her head tilted back as she asserts herself against the tension of the room. To her side, a large, bearded man reacts to her sudden movement, his posture taut and unyielding. The atmosphere…
The scene unfolds in A modern Blenda, a work painted by the Swedish artist August Malmström. Created about 1901, this oil on canvas captures a fleeting moment of life. The composition centers on a group of children playing outdoors within a rural landscape. Sunlight washes over the figures, illuminating a genre scene defined by childhood innocence and mischief.
Frithiof kommer till Kung Ring (ur Frithiofs saga) (1880), Nationalmuseum, Stockholm. Kung Rings död (ur Frithiofs saga) (1884) and King Bele and Thorsten Vikingsson (1880) come next.
51 years old: Frithiof kommer till Kung Ring (ur Frithiofs saga) dates from 1880, and August Malmström was born in 1829.
Frithiof kommer till Kung Ring (ur Frithiofs saga), Kung Rings död (ur Frithiofs saga), King Bele and Thorsten Vikingsson, Ingeborg Receiving News of Hjalmar's Death from Orvar Odd, King Heimer and Aslög, The Reconciliation, Frithiof spelar schack (ur Frithiofs saga), Hallgerd’s Slap, Odysseus before Alcinous, King of the Phaeacians and The Temptation of Frithiof. The ranking above gives each one's year and museum.
Our catalog holds 34 works by August Malmström, dated from 1853 to 1901.
Mostly in Nationalmuseum (Stockholm) and Finnish National Gallery (Helsinki). The museum table above lists them all.
In 1880s: 15 of the 34 works on this page were made then, Frithiof kommer till Kung Ring (ur Frithiofs saga) among them.
On this page, the earliest is Odysseus before Alcinous, King of the Phaeacians (1853) and the latest A modern Blenda (1901).
Man (10), Woman (9) and People (7), across the 34 works on this page.
Oil On Canvas, for 17 of the 34 works on this page.
National romanticism, judging by the originals on this page.
Frithiof kommer till Kung Ring (ur Frithiofs saga), Kung Rings död (ur Frithiofs saga) and King Bele and Thorsten Vikingsson: the Nationalmuseum, Stockholm holds 27 of the works on this page.
