GUSTAV III, by Gustaf Lundberg c. 1775

GUSTAV III, by Gustaf Lundberg c. 1775

GUSTAV III, by Gustaf Lundberg c. 1775

“Gustavian” refers to the board type, which was invented by King Gustav III of Sweden, for his “Gustav III’s Chess”

This chess variant was invented by King Gustav III of Sweden…

SOURCE;

(G.J. Billberg, “Hand-bibliothek för sällskapsnöjen”; Stockholm (1838-39)

King Gustav III is credited with adding a seventh type of piece to the standard array—The Amazon.

This piece combines the powers of Queen and Knight…

Four of them—two on each side— are placed on the corners of the board…

This portrait is now erroneously titled:

“Adolf Ludvig Gustav Fredrik Albert Badin”

(Adolf Fredrik was Gustav’s father)

It was painted by Gustaf Lundberg in 1775…

In 1750, Gustaf Lundberg became the official Court painter for Louisa Ulrika, Queen of Sweden, who commissioned him to paint portraits of her son Gustav III…

Gustav III was the nephew of Frederick the Great, who was the great-great grandson of William the Silent aka Willam of Orange…

“In person, Orange was above the middle height, perfectly well made and sinewy, but rather spare than stout. His eyes, hair, beard, and complexion were brown”

SOURCE;

(John Stevens Cabot Abbott, “The Life of Napoleon Bonaparte”; 1859)

Emmanuel Van Meteren who certainly knew William the Silent said:

“He was a well built man, taller than the average, with brown complexion and beard”

Everhard Van Reyd, who also knew him said:

“He had medium height, [and a] brown complexion”

SOURCES;

(Ruth Putnam, “William the Silent, Prince of Orange, the Moderate Man of the Sixteenth Century; The Story of His Life as Told from His Own Letters, from Those of His Friends and Enemies and from Official Documents”; 1895)

(Ainsworth Rand Spofford, ‎Frank Weitenkampf, ‎John Porter Lamberton, “Library of Historic Characters and Famous Events of All Nations and All Ages” Volume 9; 1906)

Gustav III was King of Sweden from 1771 until his assassination in 1792…

He was the eldest son of Adolf Frederick.