Brunnskar (Well Curb)

Artist: Sven Lundqvist
Year created: 1952-1955
Fountain: Bronze

The circular well curb with trumpeters arouses curiosity, raises questions and tells a story.

Brunnskar (Well Curb) stands in the middle of Hovrättstorget in central Jönköping. It is a well-known landmark that many people recognise, not least thanks to the trumpeters that spray water.

In 1950, the City of Jönköping invited several artists and architects to submit proposals to adorn the square. Artist Sven Lundqvist and architect Claes Laurent from Stockholm won the contest with a proposal they called ‘Elddonet’.

The original proposal was for a fountain linked to Jönköping’s nickname ‘Match City’. The fountain was to feature various representations of how matches are used in everyday life.

However, once it came time to build the artwork, the idea was transformed. Instead of matches, motifs associated with ‘Fridslagarna’ (the Peace Laws), introduced by Birger Jarl during the 13th century, were used to decorate the circular well curb. The Peace Laws were early laws about protection and peace in society.

The fountain is a work that has become dear to many Jönköping residents. This is particularly apparent when the water fountain is temporarily switched off – with many people contacting the municipality to ask why.

Sven Lundqvist (1918-2008), who created the artwork, grew up in Storvik. He was the son of master craftsman Frans Lundqvist and Ellen Lundqvist. His older brother was the famous illustrator Birger Lundquist. Sven studied at Tekniska Skolan (Technical School) from 1935 to 1937 and then at the Academy of Arts in Stockholm from 1941 to 1945. After his studies, he travelled to France, Egypt, Greece and Italy to find inspiration for his art.

In 1950, the City of Jönköping invited several artists and architects to submit design proposals to adorn Hovrättstorget square.

Lundqvist won first prize in the competition in Jönköping together with the Stockholm architect Claes Laurent with a proposal called ‘Elddonet’.

The original winning proposal was a well inspired by the theme of the ‘matchstick city’, featuring depictions of all the conceivable uses of matches.

However, the final design for Brunnskar in Jönköping did not resemble the original idea. Instead, Birger Jarl’s Peace Laws from the 13th century became the inspiration for the motifs on the circular well curb. Today, it is a well-known and beloved landmark in Jönköping, reflected, among other things, by residents’ enquiries on the occasions when the fountain is turned off and the trumpeters stop spraying water.

About the artist

The artist Sven Lundqvist (1918-2008) grew up in Storvik and was the son of the master craftsman Frans Lundqvist and Ellen Lundqvist. The illustrator Birger Lundquist was his older brother. Sven Lundqvist studied at the Tekniska Skolan (Technical School) 1935-1937 and the Academy of Arts in Stockholm 1941-1945, and made field trips to France, Egypt, Greece and Italy following his studies.