Statue of Karl XIV Johan (Stockholm)

 monument, 1850s construction, equestrian statue

This equestrian statue depicts Karl XIV Johan arriving in Stockholm in 1810. Originally (1854) the statue was placed at Slussen, and showed the king arriving into the city from the south. However, when Slussen was rebuilt in 1935 the sculpture was rotated to show him leaving the city. The original plinth was also replaced by a higher and simpler one. As a side effect of (yet again) rebuilding the Slussen traffic junction, the statue was removed in 2015 and in 2018 placed on a new permanent foundation at Slottsbacken, next to the Royal Palace.
Originally the statue was to have had both sword and cape, but was later changed to present a more peaceful picture of the regent. The work is considered the best of Stockholm’s equestrian statues.
The original unveiling in 1854 was a big event, including dinner at the Royal Palace for 700 guests and a gala performance at the Royal Opera.