King Gustav III of Sweden
1775
Alexander Roslin captured King Gustav III of Sweden looking incredibly dapper in this 1775 portrait, decked out in a shimmering gold coat and the blue sash of the Order of the Seraphim. Roslin, a Swedish artist who found massive success in Paris, knew how to flatter royalty while keeping a touch of realism in those wide, alert eyes. Gustav was a huge patron of the arts—founding the Swedish Academy and the Royal Opera—but his life ended dramatically when he was assassinated at a masquerade ball, a plot later used for Verdi's opera 'Un ballo in maschera'.
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