Solbåten, Sculpture in Riddarholmen, Stockholm, Sweden
Solbåten is a granite and stone sculpture on the terrace of Evert Taube in Riddarholmen. The piece combines a smooth, light-colored sail-like form with a heavy rectangular base, both carved to catch sunlight and shadow near the waterfront.
The work was installed in 1966 after being carved from a granite block that weighed about 16 tons. Its base stones were sourced from Idefjorden, and the sculpture has remained in the same waterside spot for more than five decades.
The abstract form reads as a boat or shell, and many passersby stop to touch the smooth stone and trace its curves with their hands. Its placement beside the water links it to the everyday sight of small craft moving through the city's channels.
The sculpture stands in an open, paved area with no barriers, so you can walk around it freely and view it from all sides. The ground is flat and even, making the site easy to reach for most visitors.
Christian Berg found the initial inspiration for this piece in a shell he picked up on a Greek island. He later described the finished sculpture as a kind of victory figure, comparing its forward-leaning energy to the goddess Nike.
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