The Swedish Classroom

"Hail Gabriel, Archangel of East and Air!
Archangel of Truth and Wisdom,
I call on you to guide me in the search for truth and
Following my inner voice and intuition.
Hail Gabriel, Blessed Be!"

If I have a thousand ideas and only one turns out to be good, I am satisfied.
Alfred Nobel (1833-1896) Swedish chemist, inventor, philanthropist
From "Clint's Master Quotation Page," an internet quotation of collections.

       The charm of a peasant cottage combines with delightful murals in the style of the 18th-century painter from Halsingland, Gustav Reuter, to create the hospitable atmosphere of the Swedish Room.

    The hooded brick fireplace derives from an original in the Bollnas cottage of Stockholm's outdoor Skansen Museum. The brilliant white walls and fireplace are constructed of 200-year-old handmade bricks.

    A subtle sense of humor associated with the Swedish people is revealed in the room's paintings. A wall fresco secco depicts of Three Wise Men dressed as cavaliers riding to Bethlehem, in two directions. In their midst is Sweden's patron saint, St. Catherine. The sloped ceiling bears decorations in which the central figure is the Archangel Gabriel, seen as a droll trumpeter with two left feet. Nearby are renditions of Justice and Knowledge surrounded by groupings of flowers. Justice uses her blindfold to hold scales that appear balanced but have an off-center fulcrum. Knowledge seems puzzled as she contemplates writing on her slate with a quill pen.

    The classroom's oak furniture is stained a muted gray-blue tone, similar to that found in old Swedish homes. Floral designs, in colors that complement the amber tone of fir wall benches, brighten the door and archive cabinet. The red brick floor is set in a herringbone pattern.