Talk: Gustav III of Sweden, a Francophile King

The theme of this talk is the Gustavian period, which witnessed the flourishing of arts and culture in Sweden. The king’s enthusiasm for the theatre led to a fruitful collaboration with French painter and architect Louis-Jean Desprez, one of the most reputed theatrical set designers of his time, to whom we have devoted an exhibition that runs until 26 October.
Start date:
16 Oct 2025
Category:
At the Institut Suédois
Time
19:00 - 20:00
Painted portrait of King Gustav III.
Gustaf Lundberg, "Gustaf III". Photo National Museum Stockholm

In the history of Sweden, the reign of Gustave III (1771–1792) shines particularly brightly in the fields of fine arts, literature and theatre. Ideologically, the king forged closer links between Sweden and the continent of Europe. The monarch travelled extensively and took a keen interest in international politics, new ideas and the French way of life. Enamoured by the refined manners of the court of Louis XV, he sought to import them: in Stockholm, noblemen and women soon began to dress like their counterparts in Versailles, while the royal palaces were decorated by French architects, painters and cabinetmakers.

But Gustav III’s greatest passion was for the theatre. He opened many theatres in Stockholm, for which he recruited French actors and set designers, including Louis-Jean Desprez. The plays performed there were mainly French, but the king was also keen to promote the language and literature of Sweden. He founded the Swedish Academy and himself wrote several plays in Swedish, the quality of which is still praised today.

Marianne Molander Beyer and Franck Favier will talk about the Gustavian period and its Franco-Swedish artistic and cultural exchanges, including the king’s collaboration with architect, painter and engraver Louis-Jean Desprez.

Franck Favier is a professor of contemporary history and teaches preparatory classes for admission to grandes Ă©coles (top-level universities). His work focuses on the history of Sweden in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries and on France from the Revolution to the First Empire. His published works include Bernadotte, un marĂ©chal d’empire sur le trĂ´ne de Suède and, in collaboration with Marianne Molander Beyer, Les relations entre la France et la Suède de 1718 Ă  1748. He was made a Knight of the Order of the Polar Star in 2023.

Marianne Molander Beyer is a professor, senior lecturer and researcher in language teaching at the University of Gothenburg. She has written a thesis on the correspondence between Ambassador Gustav Philip Creutz and Gustav III and has spent many years researching and publishing works on Franco-Swedish relations in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries.  Her many distinctions include, notably, the Commander of the Ordre des Palmes académiques (2014), awarded by the French Ministry of Culture for her contributions to French culture, and the Gustavian Scholarship, awarded by the Swedish Academy (2019) for her significant contributions to the study of the Gustavian era.

To be published in 2026 (in French): Gustave III, lumière du Nord by Marianne Molander Beyer and Franck Favier (Éditions Passés Composés).

Useful information

  • The seminar will be held in French.
  • Admission free while seats last.