Tessin, Nicodemus, the Younger, Count (1654–1728). Swedish architect, the son of Tessin the Elder. Trained by his father and partly educated in Rome (1673–9) and Paris (1678–80), he thoroughly absorbed Italian and French Classicism, especially after a second study-tour in Rome and Paris (1687–8). When in Rome he was introduced to Bernini and Carlo Fontana under the aegis of the exiled Queen Christina of Sweden (1626–89). He succeeded his father at Drottningholm and as Stockholm City Architect, and built a fine house for himself in Stockholm (1692–1700) that served as a clever advertisement for his skills as an inventive, eclectic architect, demonstrating his mastery of contemporary French and Roman Baroque, especially with the garden-front. In 1697 fire consumed the old Royal Castle in Stockholm, and Tessin lost no time in producing designs for the great Palace that stands there today. Building took a long time as Sweden was bankrupted by the disastrous wars against Denmark, Poland, and Russia under King Charles XII (1697–1718), and the Palace was not completed until 1753 by Tessin's son, Count Carl Gustav Tessin (1695–1770), and Carl Hårleman. Nicodemus Tessin the Younger was also responsible for Steninge Castle, Sweden (1681–1712), a country house much influenced by French and Italian exemplars, and designed a Palace for the Amalienborg Gardens, Copenhagen, Denmark (1694–7—unrealized).

Bibliography

Andersson & and Bedoire (1986);
Josephson (1930, 1930–1);
Kommer (1974);
Placzek (ed.) (1982);
Snickare (ed.) (2002);
Jane Turner (1996);
Weilbach (1947–52);
Wrangel (1912)