STOCKHOLM.- This winter’s exhibition poses the question of who truly gets a place in a national portrait gallery. How has this looked historically? And how might it look in the future? In the exhibition, well-known works such as The Lady with the Veil by Alexander Roslin are shown alongside contemporary pieces, including Mikael Jansson’s portrait of Max Martin and Marja Helander’s portrait of Britta Marakatt-Labba.

What is a national portrait collection – and what could it be? That question forms the starting point for Nationalmuseum’s winter exhibition. The National Portrait Gallery was founded in 1822 as a collection of portraits of prominent Swedes. Considered the world’s oldest national portrait gallery, the collection has long been part of Nationalmuseum and is on display at Gripsholm Castle in Mariefred. This winter’s exhibition presents a selection of around 100 portraits from the 16th century up until today, a mix of paintings, photographs and sculpture. Famous works such as The Lady with the Veilby Alexander Roslin are presented alongside contemporary works such as Mikael Jansson’s portrait of music producer Max Martin and Marja Helander’s portrait of artist Britta Marakatt-Labba.

The exhibition also raises fundamental questions about what a portrait is. Throughout history, images of society’s leaders have been used to convey and reinforce power. The National Portrait Gallery primarily reflects the country’s elite and powerholders through the ages. On a personal level, portraits have long served to remember family members and friends. The image of a face is strongly linked to our idea of a person’s character and identity. Today, the selfie taken with a mobile phone is one of the most defining visual expressions of our time.

The exhibition explores the varied roles and functions of portraiture throughout history and in our contemporary world. Here, artists’ self-portraits, portraits of children, depictions of friends, monarchs and ministers, Nobel Prize winners, musicians, actors, athletes, and authors are brought together. The exhibition also invites visitors to reflect on who is still missing from the collection—but perhaps ought to be included. Who has been highlighted throughout history, and who has been rendered invisible? How might this look in the future?

The exhibition Portraits! will be on display on the floor 4 of Nationalmuseum from 6 November 2025 to 15 March 2026.

Exhibition curator: Per Hedström
Exhibition designer: Joakim E Werning