Erik Palmstedt

Who was Erik Palmstedt?

Erik Palmstedt was an outstanding Swedish architect working for the court circle of Gustav III, where he was in the forefront of Neoclassical style and at the heart of a social and intellectual circle that formed round him. He was also a musician, who served as organist at Riddarholm Church for twenty-seven years.

He was the son of the court musician Johan Palmstedt and his wife Maria Segerlund. He was a pupil of Stockholm's city architect, Johan Eberhard Carlberg, becoming vice-architect for the city in 1773. Having intently studied recent developments in architecture through the medium of engravings, in 1778-80 he was able for the first time to travel to France and Italy to study architecture at first hand. Through his marriagein 1784 to Hedvig Gustafva Robsahmsson, he was rendered financially independent. The circle that gathered at their house in Svartmannagatan included the Swedish writer of songs Carl Michael Bellman and the composer Joseph Martin Kraus.

He was made a fellow of the Swedish Academy of Fine Arts in 1791; he was also a member of the Royal Academy of Music.