Edvard Swartz
Edvard Maurits Swartz, (15 February 1826, Stockholm – 14 December 1897, Stockholm), was a Swedish actor, one of the stars at the Royal Dramatic Theatre at the mid 19th century.
Swartz became a student at the Royal Dramatic Theatre in 1839 and was employed at the theatre Mindre teatern 1845–1853 before he returned to the Royal Dramatic Theatre where he made a great success the same year and was given a contract. He was seen as a great talent in tragedy and hero parts, and for his "deep sense of feeling", and his beauty attracted attention; when he did the role of Rochester in Jane Eyre, the papers spoke of the "Swartzsjuka" ("Swartz Sickness"; in Sweden, the word jealousy is spelled as "Svartsjuka") which had erupted in the audience.
Among his parts were Richard II, Othello, Timon af Aten, Leontes in En vintersaga (A Winter's Tale) by Shakespeare, Sardanapalus by Byron, Fiesko, Egmont and Tartuffe, Caligula in Fäktaren från Ravenna (The fencer from Ravenna), Rochester in Jane Eyre, Louis XII in the play by Delavigne and in Gringoire, Maxime Odiot in En fattig ung mans äfventyr (The adventurse of a poor Youth), Daniel Hjort, Valdemar in Ung-Hanses dotter (Young Hans's daughter), Gustaf Vasa in Dagen gryr (Day dawn), Gustaf III in En konung (A King) and Örnulf in Kämparne på Helgeland (The fighters on Helgeland).
His health was bad and he had to retire in 1881. He was from 1854 married to his colleague Clementine Fehrnström, who was also employed at the Royal Dramatic Theatre 1853–1888.
References
- http://runeberg.org/nfcg/0476.html
- (Swedish) Georg Nordensvan: Svensk teater och svenska skådespelare från Gustav III till våra dagar. Första bandet 1772-1842 (Swedish theatre and Swedish actors from Gustav III to our days 1772-1842) (1917)