The Prince Eugen Medal

The Prince Eugen Medal was instituted by King Gustaf V to mark Prince Eugen’s 80th birthday in 1945. The medal is awarded in recognition of outstanding artistic achievements.

Prince Eugen 1865-1947

Eugen Napoleon Nikolaus was born in August 1865 at Drottningholm Palace as the youngest son of Oskar (II) and Sofia of Nassau. Prince Eugen was Duke of Närke.

After completing his student and officer's degree, he devoted himself exclusively to his artistry. He appeared for the first time in Paris in 1889 with, among other things, a Scanian landscape. Eugen became one of those who created the national Swedish landscape style of the 90's. Among his works can be mentioned The Old Castle, The Cloud and The Mill.

In 1898, the Prince executed his first mural with Haga atmosphere for the Opera's royal foyer. He has also executed frescoes for the Dramatic Theater and Stockholm City Hall. In 1899 Eugen bought Waldemarsudde at Kungl. Djurgården in Stockholm. During the 20's, he often took his motifs from Italy and Österlen in Scania.

Eugen was one of the foremost landscape painters of his time and a significant art collector with a focus on primarily Swedish art. In 1945, on his 80th birthday, Gustaf V instituted the Prince Eugen Medal for outstanding artistic achievement.

Eugen died at Waldemarsudde in 1947, as a testamentary gift he had handed over his home with art collections to the Swedish state. At the end of June 1948, the museum Prins Eugens Waldemarsudde opened to the public.

Read more about the museum Prins Eugens Waldemarsudde External link.