This week’s small pleasures 491

This week’s small pleasures post is a bit longer than usual. Sometimes there are just lovely weeks just full of small pleasures that create memories and bring joy. These can be as simple such as sitting under blossom to enjoy lunch on Sunday to listening to bird song.

Sven-Harrys Konstmuseum

On Tuesday, I walked over to Vasaparken with the goal of going to Sven-Harrys Konstmuseum. The museum was opened in 2011 and is based around the collection of Sven-Harry Karlsson. The current exhibition is Familjen – på gott och ont (Family – for better or worse), an interesting mix of art works from different eras, all about family.

On the top floor is part of a replica of Sven-Harry’s former home, the 18th century manor Ekholmsnäs, which you can view through a window (at least it wasn’t open when I was there). There is also a roof terrace with sculptures and a fantastic view of Vasastan as you can see below. There was one slightly ‘disturbing’ art work…a sound installation of a child calling ‘mamma’ and then ‘papa’…one could not help but turn around and look for the lost child! Anyway, it was an interesting exhibition and I loved the rooftop sculpture park.

National Museum

Then on Wednesday, I went to the National Museum, the art and design museum, which I realised I had not been to over all the years I have been coming to Stockholm. The museum was opened in 1792 and is one of Europe’s oldest art museums. The collection has paintings, sculpture, drawings and design works spanning centuries.

There was a wonderful room of china and porcelain (bottom right) that showed how domestic ware has evolved through the centuries, and also enjoyed the special exhibit of ceramics by the Swedish artist Wilhelm Kåge and the Japanese ceramicist Shōji Hamada. I always love looking at furniture, and display in particular (bottom left) caught my eye. The picture on the wall is of Alva and Gunnar Myrdal, influential figures in community planning. The desk and drawers belonged to Alva. The chair on the right was Sweden’s first self-assembly flat pack – something we all know about now! I didn’t get up to the top floor – something for another visit.

Thielska Galleriet

Saturday saw us heading over to Thielska Galleriet with the aim of going to see the Elsa Beskow exhibition. Beskow wrote and illustrated many children’s books, such as Tomtebobarnen, Sagan om den lilla, lilla gumman and the series about Tant Grön, Tant Brun och Tant Gredelin. Regular readers may have at some point notice a couple of mugs we have at home in New Zealand with some of her drawings. Karl grew up with these books, and it was such a delight to go to this exhibition.

The gallery itself is housed and has collection of works of art from the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries by leading artists of the period including Carl Larsson, August Strindberg and Anders Zorn. The museum also has the largest collection of Edvard Munch’s art outside of Norway. The building was designed to house the banker and art patron Ernest Thiel’s art collection and was completed in 1907, and served as the family home from 1907 to 1924. According to the website, the upper floor was designed in accordance with Thiel’s own proposal of two large rooms “whose walls would be covered with paintings”. These two rooms, as well as the grand Munch room, all have glass roofs that admit daylight. The bronze statue below, Dusk Approaching, is from 1902 and by Aron Jerndahl.

Below you can see the Munch room, with paintings by him and other artists, and some amazing furniture designed for the space.

On the left below is a view of the sculpture park, and the right three postcards I bought as a souvenir of the exhibition. You can read more about the artist here.

Moderna Museet

The fourth visit was to Moderna Museet on Sunday, which is home to a large collection of art from the early 20th century forward. We spent quite a while looking at a series of exhibits from recently acquired works to drawings to surrealism. I particularly wanted to see the Brassaï exhibition of his photographs of Paris in the 1930s which I thoroughly enjoyed: some amazing photographs. We also went to the ArkDes part of the gallery which focusses on architecture and design, where I admit I spent a lot of time looking at a dolls’ house. The weather was gorgeous as you can see, and warm enough to have lunch outside (see what we had below).

Eating!

A small pleasures post would not be complete without mentioning food. In the basket this week were potatoes, a bunch of crisp radishes, two large courgettes, carrots and two Swedish cucumbers amongst other things, like this rhubarb soda that was actually quite nice.

Lunches at home have seen me enjoy herring, such as this skärgårdssill with roe and dill, and the lovely soft polar bread which I enjoyed with cheese and other things another day. It has been years since I had this so nice to enjoy it again.

Finally, lunches out, with a lovely hot smoked salmon salad, with sundried tomatoes, courgettes, dill, salad leaves and a lovely dip/sauce at the National Museum and the classic at prawn and egg sandwich at Cafe Blom at Moderna Museet. Karl had a croque monsieur. Both were excellent.

Simple Things

• Reading this article by Alison Roman.
• Soaking up the Swedish spring.
• Eating favourite foods I have missed.
• Visiting art galleries and museums.
• Enjoying being in Stockholm.
• Going shopping at Bientôt, owned by Sebastian Bergström, who I have been following for years on Instagram @mosebacke

What were your small pleasures this week? Here are some other blog posts from a few fellow bloggers looking at the good things in life. 

• Carol Ann shares some more wonderful delights.
• Meanwhile Travels Through My Lens takes us to a beautiful park.
• And Neal shares a silent Sunday.
• While Natalie shares snapshots of Antibes.
• Anne has some thoughts on bells.
• The Travel Sketcher shares his week in The Pearl before heading to Helsinki.
• And Mr Tootlepedal gets back on his bike.
• Melissa of Under the Elderberry Tree shares signs of spring and some lovely looking crochet.
• Anabel of The Glasgow Gallivanter shares wonderful cat pictures.
• Maria offers us coffee and conversation.
• While Jo takes us to an interesting museum in Lisbon.
• And Laurie celebrates spring.
• Ju-Lyn takes us to her Happy Place, Happy Space.
• And Jo of Story Crumbs celebrates her wedding anniversary.
• The Eternal Traveller takes us to Split.
• Finally….Mr Platypus takes us to an interesting tunnel.
• ..…and all the other lovely bloggers out there. Sorry if I have missed anyone…..

Thistles and Kiwis is a Wellington, New Zealand based blog written by Barbara, who likes cats, summer and good food. Thistles and Kiwis can be found on Facebook and Instagram