This spring the exhibition Swedish Ecstasy opens at Bozar in Brussels, showcasing works by Swedish artists inspired by mysticism and spirituality. As partner in the project, Nationalmuseum is providing 40 works by Carl Fredrik Hill, Ernst Josephson and August Strindberg.

Amongst the works on loan from Nationalmuseum are The Water Sprite by Josephson, Wonderland by Strindberg and Apple Tree in Blossom by Hill. The paintings will be on show alongside other paintings by Hilma af Klint in the historical section of the exhibition, which also features works by contemporary artists such as Cecilia Edefalk, Christine Ödlund, Carsten Höller, Lars Olof Loeld and Daniel Youssef.

Ernst Josephson, The Water Sprite, 1882. Oil on canvas.

August Strindberg, Wonderland, 1894. Oil on paper.

Carl Fredrik Hill, Apple Tree in Blossom, 1877. Oil on canvas.

Ernst Josephson, Extatic heads. Oil on wood.

The exhibition is produced in connection with Sweden’s EU presidency, and the idea is to present a somewhat unexpected side of Sweden, which is often seen as a country that embodies pragmatic and rational attitudes. August Strindberg’s mysticism and Hilma af Klint’s spiritual universe tell a different story.

Exhibition curators: Daniel Birnbaum in collaboration with Ann Flas from Bozar.

Find out more about the exhibition at Bozar's web site.