Networking patrons
Short description
This project aims to map out the different activities and networks of the Gothenburg patrons Pontus (1827–1902) and Göthilda Fürstenberg (1837–1901), that were involved in the promotion of a competitive art scene in the expansive city of Gothenburg in the newly industrialized Sweden.
During an intense period of about twenty years, 1880–1902, the couple held significant positions in the municipality and was active in various fields of patronage. Their most famous legacy is the art gallery that is classed to be one of the most important collections of Scandinavian art in the world. However, it is not the only heritage the couple left to posterity. The effects of their activities are also manifest in less concrete phenomenons as the establishment of cultural institutions, donations to the city and museums, commissions to modern artists, as well as city planning. Social structures and networks will be made visible to understand the processes behind the accumulation of cultural capital that was suitable for the wealthy industrial city of Gothenburg.
This project will provide us with knowledge about the establishment of an art scene in Gothenburg that was based on the ambitions of local industrialists, and succeeded to challenge the traditional art scene and institutions with its rigid hierarchies in Stockholm.