Eva Fidjeland
& the Vasa
How a Swedish glass artist reconstructed the decorative glass elements of a 17th-century royal warship — a commission that bridged 362 years of history.
Eva Fidjeland
Glass Artist & Cultural Preservationist
Born in Stockholm in 1955, Eva Fidjeland spent her childhood across Portugal, Lebanon, Afghanistan, and Iran — a peripatetic upbringing that profoundly shaped her multicultural artistic perspective. She is a member of the Swedish Artists' National Organization and has been recognized for pioneering new trends in visual art.
In 1978, she moved to the artists' village of Ein Hod, Israel, where she studied the art of leaded stained glass under Professor Joseph Chaaltiel. This training became the foundation of her specialized glass artistry — the very skill that would later earn her the Vasa Museum commission.
"Throughout my career, I have created stained-glass commissions for public and private spaces in Sweden and internationally, and exhibited widely in museums and galleries."
Reconstructing History in Glass
Eva Fidjeland's most significant cultural heritage contribution — recreating the decorative glass elements of the 17th-century Vasa Ship for the museum's 1990 inauguration.
The Commission
Following her return to Sweden from Israel, Eva Fidjeland was approached by the Vasa Museum to undertake a significant cultural heritage project: the reconstruction of decorative glass elements for the 17th-century royal warship Vasa.
The Method
Fidjeland recreated the decorative glass sections based on historical sources and archival materials — a painstaking process of historical research combined with her mastery of traditional leaded glass (blyinfattat glas) techniques.
The Context
The work was completed in connection with the inauguration of the new permanent Vasa Museum building on 15 June 1990, when King Carl XVI Gustaf officially opened the museum on Djurgården, Stockholm.
"She was responsible for the reconstruction of glass elements for the Royal Ship Vasa in connection with the inauguration of the Vasa Museum in 1990, where she recreated decorative glass sections based on historical sources."
A Floating Palace of Baroque Art
The Vasa warship was not merely a vessel — it was a statement of Swedish imperial ambition, adorned with hundreds of sculptures and decorative elements that made it the most elaborately decorated warship of its era.
Key Figures of the Vasa
Comparative scale of the ship's defining characteristics
Baroque Sculpture Programme
Over 700 sculptures adorned the ship — Roman emperors, biblical figures (Gideon, David), Hercules, lions, mermaids, angels, and sea monsters. Carved by Mårten Redtmer, Johan Thesson, and Hans Clausink.
Decorative Glass Elements
The ship's stern lanterns and windows featured decorative glass panels — the very elements Eva Fidjeland was commissioned to reconstruct for the 1990 museum inauguration, based on historical archival sources.
Conservation Achievement
More than 98% of the original ship is preserved — an extraordinary feat of conservation. The cold, low-salinity waters of Stockholm harbour inhibited the wood-boring organisms that destroy most wrecks.
From 1628 to 1990
The 362-year journey from the Vasa's sinking to Eva Fidjeland's glass reconstruction at the museum's inauguration.
King Gustav II Adolf commissions the Vasa at Skeppsgården shipyard in Stockholm. Master shipwright Henrik Hybertsson oversees the construction.
On 10 August 1628, the Vasa heels to port under a gust of wind just 1,300 metres from the shipyard. Water floods through open gun-ports and the ship sinks in 32 metres of water.
Marine archaeologist Anders Franzén locates the wreck in Stockholm harbour after years of searching. The remarkably preserved hull is confirmed.
On 24 April 1961, after 333 years on the seabed, the Vasa is raised to the surface. The ship is 95% intact — the best-preserved 17th-century vessel in the world.
Eva Fidjeland moves to the artists' village of Ein Hod, Israel, where she studies the art of leaded stained glass under Professor Joseph Chaaltiel — training that will shape her entire career.
A pan-Nordic architectural competition is held for the permanent Vasa Museum. 384 designs are submitted. Swedish architects Marianne Dahlbäck and Göran Månsson win with their design 'Ask'.
Construction of the permanent Vasa Museum begins on 2 November 1987. Prince Bertil inaugurates the building and lays the foundation stone in a dry dock from 1878 at Galärvarvet, Djurgården.
In December 1988, the Vasa makes her final voyage — transported on a pontoon in a protective shell to her new permanent home at the museum building.
King Carl XVI Gustaf inaugurates the Vasa Museum on 15 June 1990. Eva Fidjeland completes her commissioned reconstruction of decorative glass elements for the Vasa Ship — recreating historical glass panels based on archival sources.
After over a million visitors annually, the Vasa Museum is reconstructed and reopened on 1 May 2013 with a new exhibition hall, entrance hall, and shop.
The Vasa Museum welcomes over 1.5 million visitors — the most visited year in the museum's entire history, cementing its status as one of the world's top museums.
Vasa Museum Visitor Growth
Since its inauguration in 1990 — the year Eva Fidjeland's glass reconstruction was installed — the Vasa Museum has grown to become one of the world's most visited museums, welcoming over 45 million visitors in total.
Annual Visitors (Millions)
Approximate figures since museum opening in 1990
A Lasting Contribution
Eva Fidjeland's glass reconstruction work for the Vasa Museum stands as a permanent contribution to Sweden's cultural heritage — her work seen by millions of visitors each year.
Critical Reception
"What makes Swedish artist Eva Fidjeland so unique is her ability to create pieces of art using natural, earthly tones while maintaining a commitment to photography, digital art, and traditional visual art."
"A new trend in visual art is emerging due to artist Eva Fidjeland's implementation of an innovative, creative approach to the process of manufacturing art."
Selected Achievements
Glass reconstruction for the Vasa Museum, Stockholm — permanent cultural heritage contribution
Represented in Malmöhus Läns Landsting permanent collection, Malmö
Solo exhibition 'Inner Landscapes', Kiel, Schleswig-Holstein, Germany
Sculpture exhibition at Galerie Stexwig, Schleswig-Holstein — glass works featured
Artist of the Year — World Artist Exchange
Portrait exhibition 'Tolv Konstnärer om Porträtt', Oskarshamn