CHRISTIAN ERICSSON, after, a plaster sculpture, The Bow Tensioner. Signed and dated 1915 in the estate.

Plaster model painted in gold color, height 58 cm.

Facts:
The bowspanner on Kornhamnstorg in Gamla stan in Stockholm from 1916 is one of two monuments in Stockholm to Engelbrekt Engelbrektsson and his struggle against Erik of Pomerania's regime. The other is located since 1932 in the garden of Stockholm City Hall. The monument was erected in 1916 with funds from the Association for the Ornamentation of Stockholm with Artworks and was the first work of art that the association gave to the City of Stockholm.

The sculpture had originally been created for Falun in a competition announced as early as 1902, and after re-competition it was finally proposed in 1909. The idea was that it would be part of a whole sculpture group to celebrate Engelbrekt. However, it was rejected as too much of an idea sculpture and too little of conventional hero portraiture and eventually came to be replaced by Karl Hultström's Engelbrekt statue outside Kristine Church in 1919.

A third copy of the Bow Tensioner was later erected in Rottneros Sculpture Park.

The model for the Bågspenaren was Christian's good friend Gösta Fagerlind, head teacher at the folk school in Arvika. The sculpture is very portrait-like when the hair is extended into a polka hairstyle.

“Here you see for once an ordinary fellow in wicker straining his bow to protect his country against the enemy, And the plinth with the reliefs likewise, it is a people who defend their country. It shows that the dream of greatness has once belonged to everyone. Though it depicts a crossbow warrior, it points forward in our history. “
— Ivar Lo-Johansson.
The bow tensioner is also found in relief depiction on a memorial stone at Södra Djurgården, erected by Djurgårdens IF in 1955 to commemorate the association's first time, in the 1890s, when ski jumping was arranged in the vicinity of Skansen. The bow tensioner also appears on some internal plaques and medals within Djurgårdens IF. In addition, there is a stand-alone newspaper about Djurgårdens IF's football operations called Bågaren.

A similar figure, in all likelihood inspired by Christian Eriksson's bow-tensioner, appeared together with the text “Defence mainly” in an election poster from the Right, which Gunnar Widholm had painted for the parliamentary elections in March 1914. A crossbow was subsequently used for a long time as a symbol by the Right and its Youth League, compare the Engelbrektsbow which is still used by the Moderate Youth League in some contexts.

Source: Wikipedia.