Solsångaren, Bronze sculpture in Gamla stan, Sweden

Solsångaren is a bronze sculpture by Carl Milles on Strömparterren in central Stockholm, unveiled in 1926. It depicts the Greek god Apollo singing Esaias Tegnér's poem "Sång till solen", arms raised, mouth open, head tilted toward the sun. He wears a helmet bearing Pegasus; under his right foot is a tortoise, referring to Hermes' first lyre. The circular base carries a frieze of the nine muses, and the rectangular granite plinth holds a green Kolmården marble medallion of Tegnér in profile.

In 1918 the Royal Swedish Academy of Letters, History and Antiquities commissioned Carl Milles to make a bust of poet Esaias Tegnér, but he convinced them to accept a full figure. The bronze, cast by Herman Bergman's foundry, was unveiled on 21 October 1926 on Strömparterren, with a speech by Erik Axel Karlfeldt and recitation by Anders de Wahl. Milles's repeated reworking delayed the work, and in 1928 he wrote that he was penniless while "the wolves wait in the corners".

The figure is Apollo singing Tegnér's 1810 poem Sång till solen, arms raised and mouth open toward the sun. He wears a helmet bearing Pegasus, and a tortoise under his right foot refers to the lyre Hermes made from a tortoise shell. A frieze on the circular base shows the nine muses.

The sculpture stands within walking distance of the Parliament building in Gamla stan and is easily reached via Gamla stan metro station. Visitors can view the figure anytime since it is freely accessible in public space throughout the day and evening.

The bronze is 3.9 metres tall and stands on a rectangular granite plinth 3.8 by 1.4 by 1.4 metres, with a medallion of green Kolmården marble showing Esaias Tegnér in profile on the side facing the water. The figure wears a helmet bearing an image of Pegasus, and a tortoise lies under his right foot, a nod to the lyre Hermes made from a tortoise shell.