Harpolekaren och hans son (The harpist and his son)

Artist: Stig Blomberg
Year of creation: 1937
Placement: Rådhusparken, Jönköping

About the artwork

Harpolekaren (The harpist) can be found in Rådhusparken Park in central Jönköping. It was created in 1937 when a competition was proposed for a monument for Junebäck. Stig Blomberg had two entries in the competition, one of which, Harpolekaren, did not win. In February 1938, Blomberg offered to sell Harpolekaren to the city. However, a final decision on the purchases was not made until 1941. As late as 1944, there was a completed plaster model, and in December of the same year it was decided to continue with the casting. However, it was not until June 1947 that a decision was made on measures to erect the statue in Rådhusparken Park.

The artist took his motif from Viktor Rydberg’s last novel Vapensmeden (the gunsmith).

About the artist

Stig Blomberg (1901-1970) studied at the Stockholm Academy of Fine Arts, after which he stayed in Paris and studied at Maison Watteau. He returned to the Academy of Fine Arts in 1951-1961 as a professor. He liked to sculpt children and young people with humour and joy.

Stig Blomberg was also awarded a bronze medal in sculpture for the work Tampande Pojkar (Tussling boys) at the art competitions at the Olympic Games in Berlin in 1936. He was also a book illustrator under the pseudonym T Arvidsson.