Henrik Karnells relief (Relief of Henrik Karnell)

Artist: Carl Christensen
Year created: Unknown
Material: Relief

Henrik Karnell was a central figure in the development of Jönköping City Park. He was a tobacconist and a committed member of the city park board, who showed great dedication to the conservation and future of the park. As early as 1887, he started his own tobacco shop and import business, but his social commitment extended far beyond the business world.

In 1942, Karnell, together with Stadsparksällskapet (City Park Society), handed the park over to the City of Jönköping. This marked the start of a new era – with a specially appointed park board taking over responsibility for the city’s green oasis. The relief is a portrait of Karnell, commemorating his contribution to the city’s public spaces.

About the artist

Carl Christensen (1878–1953) was active in Jönköping. He trained first under his father, then under the decorative sculptor Herman Hoffman and finally at the Académie Colarossi in Paris. His work included portrait busts and reliefs, funerary monuments, fountain figures, decorative woodwork and architectural ornamentation.