The Bergholtz Collection: Architectural Drawings of the Palaces in Jelgava and Rundale from Nationalmuseum (Stockholm)

Abstract

12 architectural drawings of two prominent palaces in Courland (now Latvia), namely in Mitau (Jelgava) and Ruhental (Rundale) are to be found in the Tessin-Hårleman Collection (THC) of Nationalmuseum in Stockholm, one of the most famous gatherings of architectural drawings in Europe. They are kept in the so called Bergholtz collection which is a part of THC. The drawings of two Courland palaces make this collection of special interest for the art of the Baltic region. Who was the creator of the collection, what was the reason to compile it and what other drawings are stored there – these are the first questions to be answered in this article. Friedrich Wilhelm von Bergholtz (1699–1771) is a well-known person in Russian history of the 18th century. Born in the German Duchy of Holstein, he made three long-term visits to the Russian empire during the first half of the century, spending about 15 years there in total. The first stay (1709–1714) was connected with his father’s military service for Peter the Great, as a general-lieutenant, who took part in the Northern war. In 1721–1727 Friedrich Wilhelm von Bergholtz stayed at the