Vädersolstavlan

Infobox Painting|

title=Vädersolstavlan
artist=Urban Målare, Jacob Elbfas
year=1535, 1636
type=Oil-on-panel
height=163
width=110
height_inch=64
width_inch=43
city=Stockholm
museum=Storkyrkan

"audio|Vädersolstavlan.ogg|Vädersolstavlan" (Swedish for "The Sun Dog Painting") is an oil-on-panel painting depicting a halo display, an atmospheric optical phenomenon, observed over Stockholm on April 20, 1535. It is named after the sun dogs (Swedish: "Vädersol", "Weather sun") appearing on the upper right part of the painting. While chiefly noted for being the oldest depiction of Stockholm, it is arguably also the oldest Swedish landscape painting and the oldest depiction of sun dogs.

The original painting, which was produced shortly after the event and traditionally attributed to Urban Målare ("Urban [the] Painter"), is lost, and virtually nothing is known about it. However, a copy from 1636 by Jacob Heinrich Elbfas held in Storkyrkan in Stockholm, is believed to be an accurate copy and was until recently erroneously thought to be the restored original. It was previously covered by layers of brownish varnish, and the image was hardly discernible until carefully restored and thoroughly documented in 1998–1999.

The painting was produced during an important time in Swedish history. The establishment of modern Sweden coincided with the introduction of Protestantism and the break-up with Denmark and the Kalmar Union. The painting was commissioned by the Swedish reformer Olaus Petri, and the resulting controversies between him and King Gustav Vasa and the historical context remained a well-kept secret for centuries. During the 20th century the painting became an icon for the history of Stockholm, and it is now frequently displayed whenever the history of the city is commemorated.

Painting

The painting is divided into an upper part depicting the halo phenomenon viewed vertically and a lower part depicting the city as it must have appeared viewed from Södermalm in the late Middle Ages. The medieval urban conglomeration, today part of the old town Gamla stan, is rendered using a bird's-eye view. The stone and brick buildings are densely packed below the church and castle, which are rendered in a descriptive perspective (i.e., their size relates to their social status, rather than their actual dimensions). Scattered wooden structures appear on the surrounding rural ridges, today part of central Stockholm. Though the phenomenon is said to have occurred in the morning, the city is depicted in the evening with shadows facing east.Weidhagen-Hallerdt, "Vädersolstavlan i Storkyrkan, historisk bakgrund"]

The wooden panel measures 163 by 110 centimetres (64 by 43 inches) and is composed of five vertical deals (softwood planks) reinforced by two horizontal dovetail battens. The battens, together with the rough scrub planed back, have effectively reduced warping to a minimum and the artwork is well-preserved, with only insignificant fissures and attacks by insects.Rothlind, p 7] A dendrochronological examination of the panel by doctor Peter Klein at the Institute für Holzbiologie in Hamburg determined that it is made of pine deals ("pinus silvestris"), the annual rings of which date from various periods ranging from the 1480s to around 1618. The painting can therefore date no further back than around 1620. This is consistent with the year 1636 given on the frame and mentioned in the parish accounts.Rothlind, pp 12-13]

The dye, covering a semi-transparent red-brownish bottom layer, is emulsion paint containing linseed oil. The painting was apparently painted detail by detail as no under-painting or preparatory sketches have been discovered, except for marks at the centres of the biggest circles indicating that compasses were used. As a result of this, the horizon tilts to the right; an x-ray analysis has shown that the painter tried to compensate for this tilt by altering various elements in the painting, including mountains added along the horizon and the gently leaning spires of the church and the castle. A narrow unpainted border has been left around the image.Rothlind, p 10]

Possible prototypes

No prototypes for the painting are known in Sweden, and while the painting is occasionally associated with the Danube school, much about its stylistic and iconographic history remains to be investigated. A possible stylistic prototype is the illustrated Bible of Erhard Altdorfer (brother of the more famous Albrecht Altdorfer). Begun in 1530, it was inspired by the works of Cranach and Dürer, but also renewed the genre by combining commonplace details with an undertone of approaching disaster. In particular, Altdorfer's apocalyptic illustrations for the Revelation to John deliver an evangelic message similar to that of the "Vädersolstavlan". Historical documents show that Olaus Petri, who commissioned the painting, combined biblical quotations related to the Apocalypse with the painting hanging in the church. Copies of Erhard Altdorfer's apocalyptic woodcuts may have been available in Stockholm through the German merchant Gorius Holste who lived by Järntorget square and who was a friend of both Petri and Martin Luther.Hermelin, pp 48-49]

In Albrecht Altdorfer's "The Battle of Alexander at Issus", one of the most famous paintings produced by the Danube School, a composition similar to "Vädersolstavlan" renders the battle scene in a detailed landscape under a sky crowded with celestial symbols and messages. Just as in "Vädersolstavlan", the view is not depicted as it would really appear, but is rather a composite of factual elements as known by the artist. In "The Battle of Alexander at Issus" the eastern Mediterranean Sea, Africa, and the Nile River are represented as known from contemporary maps, while the knights and soldiers are dressed in 16th century armours and the battle is depicted as retold in sources from Antiquity. The frame suspended over the scene, a device which appears in many other German Renaissance battle scenes, is mirrored by the 17th century inscription in "Vädersolstavlan". In both paintings, Apocalyptic symbols in the sky are given a contemporary political significance. The realistically rendered sky, light, and clouds, in both paintings, are emblematic of the Danube School.Svanberg, pp 70-72]

17th-century copy and modern restorations

Southern city gate

The two defensive towers of the southern city gate appearing in the left foreground, are known to be much older than the painting but their history remains poorly documented. The outer tower ("Yttre Söderport") was built on an artificial island in the strait and was rebuilt in front of an expected attack by King Christian II of Denmark in the late 1520s. In "Blodbadstavlan" ("The Bloodbath Painting"), an image ten years older than "Vädersolstavlan", it appears with a cone-shaped roof seriously damaged during the Danish assault. In "Vädersolstavlan", the inner tower ("Inre Söderport") is similar to the exterior tower, and both structures, together with the narrow bridge between them, match other historical sources. Additions younger than the 1530s, such as the reinforcements ordered by Gustav Vasa during the 1540s, are missing in the painting but present in engravings from 1560-1580, which confirms "Vädersolstavlan" is a credible contemporary document.Weidhagen-Hallerdt, "St Eriks årsbok 1999", pp 33-34]

Where the southern city gates were, is today the Slussen area. The sluice and the locks of Karl Johanslussen had to be rebuilt regularly, and the appearance of the city's southern approach changed constantly. In the early 1930s, when a multi-story concrete roundabout replaced everything else in the area, the foundations of the outer defensive tower where discoveredcite web
title = Slussen - 1935 års anläggning | language = Swedish | pages = 28
author= Mari Lorentzi, Per Olgarsson | date = 2005 | publisher = Stockholm City Museum
location = Stockholm | accessdate = 2008-06-02 | id = ISBN 91-85233-37-4
url = http://www.stockholmskallan.se/php/fupload/SMF/BI_Slussen_del_1.pdf] (known as "Gustav Vasas rondell") and remains of the southern defensive structures can still be found below the present squares in the area.Söderlund, "St Eriks årsbok 2004", pp 11-21]

While the painting is arguably the oldest realistic depiction of a halo phenomenon — almost a century older than Christoph Scheiner's famous observation of a halo display over Rome in 1630Malmquist, pp 31–41] — the phenomenon was apparently not entirely understood. The image contains several obvious misinterpretations and a few peculiarities. Most notably, like many other early depictions of haloescite web
url = http://www.atoptics.co.uk/halo/lowpete.htm
title = The 1790 St Petersburg Display | author = Cowley, Les
publisher = Atmospheric Optics | accessdate = 2008-02-25] , the painting depicts a series of events occurring over several hours and is consistent in its preference for perfect circles rather than ellipses.

A work of art produced in the spirit of the Donau SchoolSvanberg, p 86] (see Possible prototypes above), "Vädersolstavlan" features realistic depictions of cirrus clouds and the sky is properly rendered, going from bright blue near the horizon to dark blue near zenith. The shadows in the lower half of the painting, however, seem to suggest the sun is located in the west — even leaving the southern façades in shadow — which is incorrect as historical sources claim the event lasted from 7 to 9 a.m.Weidhagen-Hallerdt, "St Eriks årsbok 1999", p 20] In contrast to the city below it, the halo phenomenon is depicted vertically in a fisheye perspective with the major circle centred on zenith (like in the ray tracing solution above).Svanberg, p 65]

In the painting, the actual sun is the yellow ball in the upper-right corner surrounded by the second circle. The large circle taking up most of the sky is a parhelic circle, parallel to the horizon and located at the same altitude as the sun, as the painting renders it. This is actually a common halo, although a full circle as depicted is rare. Such parhelic circles are caused by horizontally oriented plate ice crystals reflecting sun rays. In order for a full circle to appear sun rays must be reflected both internally and externally.cite web
url = http://www.atoptics.co.uk/halo/parcirc.htm
title = Parhelic circle | author = Cowley, Les
publisher = Atmospheric Optics | accessdate = 2007-04-23] cite web
url =http://www.atoptics.co.uk/halo/pcpaths.htm
title = Parhlic Circle Formation
author = Cowley, Les | publisher = Atmospheric Optics
accessdate = 2007-04-23] The circle surrounding the sun is a 22° halo, as the name implies located 22° from the sun. While the painting depict it pretty much as it normally appears, it should be centred on the sun and is misplaced in the painting.cite web
url = http://www.atoptics.co.uk/halo/circular.htm
title = 22° Circular Halo | author = Cowley, Les
publisher = Atmospheric Optics | accessdate = 2007-04-23] The pair of arcs flanking the 22° halo and crossing each other are most likely a misinterpretation of a circumscribed halo. While the sun is still low, it starts as a V-shaped upper tangent arc which gradually develops into something looking like the unfolding wings of a seagull. As the sun ascends, in rare cases it finally joins with the lower tangent arc to form an ellipse which closes in on the circumscribed 22° halo.cite web
url = http://www.atoptics.co.uk/halo/column.htm atopics.co.uk
title = Tangent Arcs | author = Cowley, Les
accessdate = 2007-04-23 | publisher = Atmospheric Optics]

The sun dogs or parhelia, in the painting erroneously pinned to the misinterpreted arcs of the circumscribed halo, are rather frequent optical phenomena which appear when sunlight is refracted by hexagonal ice crystals forming cirrus or cirrostratus clouds. When the sun is still low, they are located "on" the 22° halo, the way they are most commonly observed, and as the sun ascends they move laterally away from the 22° halo.cite web
url = http://www.atoptics.co.uk/halo/circim2.htm
title = Circumscribed Halo - 43° high sun
publisher = Atmospheric Optics | author = Cowley, Les
accessdate = 2008-02-25] At rare occasions, they can actually reach the circumscribed halo. As depicted in the painting, the sun dogs are located midway between the 22° halo and the circumscribed halo, and, assuming they are correctly rendered, the sun should have been located at about 35-40° above the horizon (as in the simulation above).cite web
url = http://islandnet.com/~see/weather/elements/sundog.htm
title = Sun Dogs | publisher = The Weather Doctor
accessdate = 2007-04-14 | date = 2001/2005 | author = Keith C. Heidorn] cite web
url = http://www.atoptics.co.uk/halo/parhelia.htm
title = Sundogs - parhelia - mock suns
publisher = Atmospheric Optics | author = Cowley, Les
accessdate = 2008-02-25 ]

The unintelligible arc on the lower right might be a misinterpreted and misplaced infralateral arc missing its mirrored twin. These phenomena are, however, rare and only form when the sun is below 32°. Their shape change quickly as the sun rises, and as the painting most likely isn't depicting any specific moment, it is impossible to draw any conclusions from the mysterious shape in the painting.cite web
url = http://www.atoptics.co.uk/halo/supinf.htm
title = Supralateral & Infralateral arcs | author = Cowley, Les
publisher = Atmospheric Optics | accessdate = 2008-02-25]

The crescent moon shape in the middle of the sky looks very much like a circumzenithal arc, which is parallel to the horizon but centred at and located near zenith. However, they only form when the sun is located "lower" than 32.2° and are at their brightest when the sun is located at 22°, which is not consistent with other haloes depicted in the painting. Furthermore, one of the most striking features of circumzenithal arcs is their rainbow colours, and the shape in the painting is perfectly devoid of any colours. It is however not a complete circle (see Kern arc), and it is facing the sun, which are both correct properties for this phenomenon.cite web
url = http://www.atoptics.co.uk/halo/cza.htm atoptics.co.uk
title = Circumzenithal Arc | author = Cowley, Les
publisher = Atmospheric Optics | accessdate = 2007-04-23]

The white spot on the lower left part of the parhelic circle, opposite to the sun, should be an anthelion, a bright halo always located at the antisolar point. Most scientists are convinced anthelia are caused by the convergence of several halo arcs (of which are no traces in the painting) and thus should not be regarded as an independent halo. Other researchers believe column-shaped crystals could generate the phenomenon which could explain the constellation in the painting.cite web
url = http://www.meteoros.de/arten/ee17e.htm
title = Anthelion | publisher = Arbeitskreis Meteore e. V.
accessdate = 2007-04-22 | language = English ( [http://epod.usra.edu/archive/epodviewer.php3?oid=301248 A photo of an anthelion and anthelic arcs] .)]

Finally, the minor, slightly bluish dots, flanking the anthelion, may be perfectly depicted 120° parhelia. These halos are produced by the same horizontally oriented ice crystals that produce sun dogs and the parhelic circle. They result from multiple interior reflections of sun rays entering the hexagonal top face and leaving through the bottom face.cite web
url = http://www.atoptics.co.uk/halo/120pars.htm
title = 120° Parhelia | author = Cowley, Les
publisher = Atmospheric Optics | accessdate = 2007-04-23]

See also

* History of Stockholm
* Perceptions of religious imagery in natural phenomena

Notes

References

* "St Eriks årsbok" (In Swedish), , Stockholm
** 1994, "Yppighet och armod i 1700-talets Stockholm", ISBN 91-972165-0-X
*** cite book
first = Olov | last = Lönnqvist | pages = 157-168
title = De låga stenhällarna som blev Strömsborg
** 1999, "Under Stockholms himmel", ISBN 91-972165-3-4
*** cite book
last = Rothlind | first = John | pages = 7-15
title = Vädersolstavlan i Storkyrkan - I Konservering och teknisk analys
*** cite book
last = Weidhagen-Hallerdt | first = Margareta | pages = 19-40
title = Vädersolstavlan i Storkyrkan - II Analys av stadsbild och bebyggelse
*** cite book
last = Hermelin | first = Andrea | pages = 41-64
title = Vädersolstavlan i Storkyrkan - III En målning i reformationens tjänst - Historik enligt skriftliga källor
*** cite book
last = Svanberg | first = Jan | pages = 65-86
title = Vädersolstavlan i Storkyrkan - IV Det konsthistoriska sammanhanget
** 2004, "Slussen vid Söderström", ISBN 91-85267-21-X
*** cite book
last = Söderlund | first = Kerstin | pages = 11-21
title = Stockholm heter det som sprack av - Söderström i äldsta tid
** 2007, "Stockholm Huvudstaden", ISBN 978-91-85801-11-4
*** cite book
first = Harriet | last = Malmquist | pages = 31–41
title = Vädersolstavlan och halofenomenen
* cite book
title = Gamla stan under 750 år | language = Swedish | pages = (CD-ROM/DVD)
edition = 1st ed. | year = 2002 | id = ISBN 91-85100-64-1
publisher = B. Wahlströms | location = Stockholm
** cite book
last = Weidhagen-Hallerdt | first = Margareta
title = Vädersoltavlan i Storkyrkan, historisk bakgrund
** cite book
last = Höijer | first = Pia
title = Olaus Petri och Gustav Vasa
** cite book
last = Rosell | first = Carl Magnus
title = Olaus Petri
* cite book
title = Gamla stan förr och nu | first = Rune | last = Lindgren
year = 1992 | publisher = Rabén & Sjögren | language = Swedish
location = Stockholm | id = ISBN 91 29 61671 9