Den första segelbåten, Memorial and sculpture in Stockholm Municipality, Sweden

Den första segelbåten is a bronze memorial and work of art in Nobelparken, showing a boy holding a sailboat while wearing a life jacket. The figure stands about two and a quarter meters tall and has a dark, aged surface that catches light differently as the weather changes.

The bronze figure was completed in 1972 by Swedish sculptor David Wretling, who often focused on children and ordinary moments. It was made as a reminder of the first sailing boat and the early seafarers whose work helped shape the city.

The work belongs to Stockholm’s public art collection and is placed where families, local residents, and visitors pass by on their walks. Its depiction of a child with a boat echoes a common sight in a city where sailing, fishing, and time on the water are part of daily life.

The sculpture sits near a small playground in the park, so you can combine a visit with a family break and see it from all sides. It is placed outdoors with room to walk around it, and the figure is easy to view without entering any restricted area.

Few visitors notice that the boy’s life jacket is the clearest sign of the artist’s wish to show a real moment of preparation rather than a heroic symbol. The bronze has developed a patina over time, so the figure can look almost black on cloudy days and brighter when the sun hits it after rain.