Johan Fredrik Höckert

Johan Fredrik Höckert (26 August 1826 – 16 September 1866) was a well-known Swedish artist from Jönköping known for his colorful, dramatic oil paintings depicting historical events. He is one of the most famous nineteenth-century painters in Sweden, and one of the painters most often associated with Swedish national romanticism.

Höckert studied at the Royal Swedish Academy of Arts from 1844 to 1845, and at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts in Munich from 1846 to 1849. During the summer of 1850, he traveled throughout Lapland in the northern parts of Sweden. The scenery in this area became the inspiration for many of Höckert's upcoming paintings.

After moving to Paris in 1851, Höckert made his first painting that gained attention from a larger audience, Drottning Kristina och Monaldeschi (English: Queen Christina and Monaldeschi). It was awarded with a mention honorable at the Paris Salon in 1853. Höckert rose to fame two years later, in 1855, with Gudstjänst i Lövmokks fjällkapell (English: Worship service in Lövmokk's fell chapel). It was put on display at the 1855 World's Fair in Paris and was later bought by Napoleon III of France. At this time, Höckert became recognized as one of Sweden's foremost figure painters.

Höckert's success continued and he made several popular paintings during the subsequent years. He was hired as a professor at the Royal Swedish Academy of Arts in 1864. At this time, Höckert was working on the painting Slottsbranden i Stockholm den 7 maj 1697 (English: Castle fire in Stockholm on 7 Maj 1697), which was displayed at the 1866 Scandinavian art fair in Stockholm. It is today regarded as one of Sweden's foremost paintings. Höckert died soon thereafter, on 16 September 1866, after several years of health issues.

Early life Höckert studied at the Royal Swedish Academy of Arts, and later became a professor there. Höckert was born to his parents Gustaf Adolf Höckert and Sofia Elisabet Melinon on 26 August 1826 in Jönköping, Sweden. During his school years, Höckert became friends with Swedish painter Johan Christoffer Boklund, who he had met by coincidence. This led to Höckert quitting his normal school studies to study at the Royal Swedish Academy of Arts, where Boklund was a teacher. Höckert's first oil painting, Två banditer, som dela rofvet (English: Two bandits, who shared the booty), was sent to Sweden and offered to Konstförening (English: The Art Association), but they did not buy it. Höckert chose Lapland because he had been inspired by the lively descriptions botanic Nils Johan Andersson had made about the nature and people there. At this time, Höckert became recognized as one of Sweden's foremost figure painters. He was hired as an art director at the Royal Swedish Opera in Stockholm in 1863 The authors of Nordisk familjebok write that Höckert's work has influenced many Swedish artists since then.