Margareta Hedvig Alströmer, as married ''Cronstedt af Fullerö'' (12 December 1763 – 19 February 1816), was a Swedish painter and concert singer. She was a member of the

Royal Swedish Academy of Arts The Royal Swedish Academy of Fine Arts (), commonly called the Royal Academy, is located in Stockholm, Sweden. An independent organization that promotes the development of painting, sculpture, architecture, and other fine arts, it is one of seve ...

and of the

Royal Swedish Academy of Music The Royal Swedish Academy of Music (), founded in 1771 by King Gustav III, is one of the Royal Academies in Sweden Sweden, formally the Kingdom of Sweden, is a Nordic countries, Nordic country located on the Scandinavian Peninsula in ...

.Anna Ivarsdotter Johnsson and Leif Jonsson: Musiken i Sverige, Frihetstiden och Gustaviansk tid 1720-1810.

Biography

Margareta Alströmer was the daughter of

baron Baron is a rank of nobility or title of honour, often Hereditary title, hereditary, in various European countries, either current or historical. The female equivalent is baroness. Typically, the title denotes an aristocrat who ranks higher than ...

statesman and amateur musician Patrick Alströmer and Christina Maria Ollonberg, and the granddaughter of

Jonas Alströmer Jonas Alströmer (7 January 1685 – 2 June 1761) was a pioneer of agriculture and industry in Sweden. Born Jonas Toresson (later changed to Alström) in the town of Alingsås in Västergötland, in 1707 he became a clerk for Stockholm merchant ...

. She was educated by the French governess Mademoiselle "Liaison" (Liegeon), previously the governess of

Ulla von Höpken Ulrika "Ulla" Eleonora von Höpken, later ''von Wright'', née ''von Fersen'' (24 March 1749 – 17 September 1810), was a Swedish countess and courtier. She is also famous in history as one of "the three graces" of the Gustavian age; three ladi ...

and

Augusta Löwenhielm Countess Christina Augusta Löwenhielm (née von Fersen; 10 March 1754 – 8 April 1846), was a Swedish noblewoman and courtier. She is known for her love affair with the future king Charles XIII. She is also famous in history as one of "the thre ...

. In 1781, she married Major General

Count Count (feminine: countess) is a historical title of nobility in certain European countries, varying in relative status, generally of middling rank in the hierarchy of nobility. Pine, L. G. ''Titles: How the King Became His Majesty''. New York: ...

Nils August Cronstedt af Fullerö. In 1788, her husband was sentenced to be shot for subordination, but was instead imprisoned in the fortress of

Varberg Varberg () is a Urban areas in Sweden, locality and the seat of Varberg Municipality, Halland County, Sweden, with 35,782 inhabitants in 2019. Varberg and all of Halland are well known for their "typical west coast" sandy beaches. In Varberg th ...

, from where he was released in 1792 by order of Duke Charles.

Acting

She was raised in a very cultural environment. Her father and paternal uncle made their home a center of the cultural life in the city of

Gothenburg Gothenburg ( ; ) is the List of urban areas in Sweden by population, second-largest city in Sweden, after the capital Stockholm, and the fifth-largest in the Nordic countries. Situated by the Kattegat on the west coast of Sweden, it is the gub ...

. They are known as the founder of the theatre ''

Comediehuset Comediehuset (The Comedy House) or Sillgateteatern (The Herring-Street Theatre) was a Swedish theatre, active in Gothenburg from 1779 until 1833. It was the first permanent Public theatre in Gothenburg and the only one until 1816. It was located a ...

'' (1779), and hosted concerts and amateur theatrical performances in their home before an audience of high society and culture personalities. She and her sisters Cristina and Anna, and her brother Jonas, often participated as singers, musicians and actors in

concert A concert, often known informally as a gig or show, is a live performance of music in front of an audience. The performance may be carried by a single musician, in which case it is sometimes called a recital, or by a musical ensemble such as an ...

s and

amateur theatre Amateur theatre, also known as amateur dramatics, is theatre performed by amateur actors and singers. Amateur theatre groups may stage plays, revues, musicals, light opera, pantomime or variety shows, and do so for the social activity as well as f ...

in Gothenburg and

Stockholm Stockholm (; ) is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in Sweden by population, most populous city of Sweden, as well as the List of urban areas in the Nordic countries, largest urban area in the Nordic countries. Approximately ...

. Margareta was considered a particularly good actor. Among her roles were parts in ''Celinde'' on 18 December 1775 at

John Hall John Hall may refer to: Academics * John Hall (NYU President) (fl. c. 1890), American academic * John A. Hall (born 1949), sociology professor at McGill University, Montreal * John F. Hall (1951–2023), professor of classics at Brigham Young Univ ...

's and ''Gustaf af Piron'' at Claes Alströmer, where she acted the main part of Adelaide as to be given public praise in the form of a poem in the paper '' Götheborg Allehanda''.

Singer

Alströmer was a popular dilettante singer at private concerts and public charity concerts. In 1799, Alströmer participated in a concert in Stockholm playing the

Clavichord The clavichord is a stringed rectangular keyboard instrument that was used largely in the Late Middle Ages, through the Renaissance music, Renaissance, Baroque music, Baroque and Classical period (music), Classical eras. Historically, it was most ...

to the singing of

Christoffer Christian Karsten Christoffer Christian (or ''Kristofer Kristian'') Karsten (9 September 1756 – 6 August 1827) was a Swedish opera singer. He was the maternal grandfather of the ballerina Marie Taglioni. Life Born in Ystad, he was discovered by queen ...

Marianne Ehrenström Mariana Maximiliana Christiana Carolina Lovisa "Marianne" Ehrenström (; 9 December 1773 – 4 January 1867), was a Swedish writer, singer, painter, pianist, culture personality, memoir writer and lady-in-waiting. She was a member of the Ac ...

and Christina Fredenheim. In 1795, she was inducted to the Royal Swedish Academy of Music, a first for her combined sex and status. Previously, only women professional artists had been elected, but in 1795, Alströmer was elected with Christina Fredenheim and Anna Brita Wendelius, followed in 1801 by Sophia and Emilie Brandel, Ulrica Bouck and

Marie Antoinette Petersén Maria Antonia "Marie Antoinette" Petersén née ''Crux'', (1771–1855), was a Swedish musician (violinist) and singer. She was a member of the Royal Swedish Academy of Music. Marie Antoinette Petersén was born in Germany, possibly in Mannheim. I ...

, all dilettantes.

Painter

Alströmer was described as a "skillful

dilettante Dilettante or dilettantes may refer to: * Amateur An amateur () is generally considered a person who pursues an avocation independent from their source of income. Amateurs and their pursuits are also described as popular, informal, autodidactic ...

in the art of painting". In 1795, she was inducted to the Royal Swedish Academy of Arts by a large majority. She is represented at the ''

Nationalmuseum Nationalmuseum is the List of national galleries, national gallery of fine arts of Sweden, located on the peninsula Blasieholmen in central Stockholm. The museum's operations stretch far beyond the borders of Blasieholmen, including the Natio ...

''.

References

* Jonsson, Leif & Ivarsdotter, Anna (red.), Musiken i Sverige. 2, Frihetstid och gustaviansk tid 1720-1810, Fischer, Stockholm, 1993 (Music in Sweden. The age of Liberty and the Gustavian age 1720–1810) * Hilleström, Gustaf: Kungl. Musikaliska akademien: matrikel 1771-1971, Nordiska musikförlaget, Stockholm 1971, Publikationer / utgivna av Kungl. Musikaliska akademien, 99-0168608-3; 10 (swe). * Jan Ling: ''Apollo Götenburgis. Patrick Alströmer och musiklivet i Göteborg vid 1700-talets slut'' (1999) * Stellan Mörner: ''Ett musikbrev 1799 från Genseric Brandel till Bernhard Crusell'' (1967)
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Biography

Acting

Singer

Painter

References

Further reading