Carl Gustav Klingstedt (1657 - 1734)

• Was a Swedish miniature painter.
• He entered in 1672 in the Swedish army and later he became a French soldier.

• In 1689 he left to dedicate himself to art.

• First he was appointed draftsman of Maximilian II Emanuel, Elector of Bavaria and worked also for Philippe I, Duke of Orleans and received a pension from the cardinal minister Guillaume Dubois in France.

• He was given the French form of his name: Clinchelet (or Clinchetet and Clingetel).

• He developed a fruitful activity as miniaturist and painted mainly gallant, often quite free scenes for tobacco boxes. 

• The artist enjoyed great popularity and received the nickname "Le Raphael des Tabatiers" for perfection in execution and refinement in details. 

• In life he was a very famous and imitated artist and the knight Louis de Jaucourt wrote an article about him on l’Encyclopedie.

• Klingstedt's miniatures are rarely signed and dated, mainly painted on vellum in ink of China.

• His main subjects were gallant, biblical, epic, historical and genre scenes often in an erotic atmosphere.

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