(Lörrach 1815-1890 Berlin)
King Gustav II Adolf of Sweden (1594-1632) at the Battle of Lützen, 16 November 1632, monogrammed FK, oil on canvas, 40 x 53 cm, framed, (Rei)

King Gustav II Adolf (1594-1632) is one of the most famous figures in Swedish history. During the Thirty Years' War, with his troops and the allied Protestant German states, he was able to push back the Catholic League under the rule of his opponent, Habsburg Emperor Ferdinand II, and considerably expand Sweden's sphere of influence, especially in the Baltic Sea region, the "Dominium Maris Baltici". His army also occupied large areas in far-away Bavaria. Ferdinand II recalled the previously dismissed commander Albrecht von Wallenstein to stop the Swedish king. In the Battle of Fürth (1632), neither Gustav II Adolf's Protestant troops nor Wallenstein's army were able to achieve victory. Gustav II Adolf subsequently lost his reputation as the "invincible one."

On 16 November of the same year, the two enemies met again. The famous Battle of Lützen in what is now Saxony-Anhalt was only narrowly won by the Swedes and their allies, and was of little military significance. Nevertheless, this episode was momentous, because Gustav II Adolf lost his life during the fighting. Apparently, he got lost with his horse in the fog and gun smoke of the battlefield, getting too close to the imperial soldiers. He was wounded several times by gunfire and fell from his horse. The present lot captures this moment precisely. The body of the Swedish king could only be recovered hours later and finally transferred to his homeland.