Gustav IV Adolf of Sweden (r. 1792–1809) is mainly remembered for losing Finland in 1809, and subsequently being deposed in a coup that would lead to limitations on royal powers in Sweden that last to this day. But long before he became King, he appeared to have an interest in drawing. Horses especially seem to have caught his eye!
This image is thought to have been drawn around 1788, meaning that the prince would have been around ten years old. The title of the drawing is ‘Gustaf Adolph’s Father Father”, meaning that it depicts either his grandfather, Adolf Fredrick of Sweden (r. 1751–1771), or more likely his Father, Gustaf III (r.1771–1772) who famously went to war with Russia, mounted on a horse (he even had his loyal steed taxidermied). What is especially interesting is that the horse’s body parts are labelled, including the nose (‘nosen’), mane (‘man’), tail (‘svansen’) and thigh (‘låret’). Perhaps the young Gustaf Adolf was learning about horse anatomy? It is also worth noting that he has labelled some of the body parts and equipment of the rider, such as his foot and his spurs.
Many of his other drawings depicted cavalry scenes, so it is possible that his interest in horses was at least partially motivated by an interest in war and strategy. Some of the scenes are quite gruesome, with the picture below showing both horses and soldiers falling in battle.
It is possible that some of these drawings were based on scenes he had witnessed himself, or at least were based on scenes described to him by his father, who went to war with Russia in 1788. It seems likely that there is at least some connection between Gustav Adolf living through his first war, and his interest in depicting the cavalry.
While the drawings vary in terms of accuracy (the anatomy isn’t too bad in the first picture, but I have never seen a horse’s legs bend in the way the middle one in the above image does), these drawings offer an interesting insight into the childhood of a Swedish monarch. Not only do they show that he might have had a soft spot for horses, but they also give us an insight into how a young prince made sense of the war his country was engaging in.
You can find more of Gustaf IV Adolf's drawings in the Uppsala University Library, or through the Alvin database.