The Gentlemen’s Cabinet

The Gentlemen's Cabinet

The Gentlemen’s Cabinet is located on the second floor of the gentlemen’s wing and leads from the staircase to both the Knight’s Hall and the dining room. Today, the room is furnished as a meeting and study room, showcasing the manor’s ‘industrious gentlemen’ throughout history. The furniture primarily consists of items from the late 18th century and early 19th century. Paintings and graphic works are either connected to Hafslund’s owners or to people and places with ties to the manor or the families who have lived here.

Paintings

Tistedalsfossen outside Halden. Oil on canvas from 1833 by an unknown artist with the initials I. P. M. In the mid-18th century, Halden was Norway’s fifth-largest city with approximately 3000 inhabitants. The city played a strategic role due to its proximity to the Swedish border, in addition to being important for timber trade. The Elieson family lived in Halden during the reconstruction of Hafslund and invested in several businesses there. In earlier times, there were many sawmills along the Tista river. The sawmills were eventually replaced by power plants, and the Tistedalsfoss power plant was established in 1907.

Oil on canvas, approx. 1815. The motif is from outside the harbor in Canton, China, where European boats had to anchor outside the harbor to wait their turn before being allowed in to load and unload goods. All trade between China and Europe passed through the city of Canton, leading to ship queues. The owners of Hafslund had several ships from the late 17th and throughout the 18th century and were part of this international trade. The Danish-Norwegian trading company was located in Copenhagen and was economically important.

Mathias Huitfeldt wearing a breastplate with Frederik V’s mirrored monogram. Mathias Huitfeldt was the son of Hartvig and Karen Huitfeldt and heir to Hafslund. Like his father, he had a military career. He became a life guard on horseback at the Court and then general adjutant to King Frederik V. Later, when Hafslund was sold, he moved to Denmark and was able to purchase Clausholm Castle. He became diocesan governor in Viborg and privy councillor, and finally privy conference councillor, which is the highest title achieved by any Norwegian in the Danish-Norwegian monarchy. Reproduction of the original hanging at Clausholm Castle, Jutland.

Morten Leuch Elieson (1724–1763) was a merchant, factory owner, and assessor (judge) at the Supreme Court, eventually receiving the rank title of Justice Councillor. He was the brother of Peter Elieson and the son of one of Norway’s wealthiest timber merchants, Iver Elieson. Morten Elieson helped his brother purchase Hafslund by making his paternal inheritance available to him from 1753–1756.

Oil on panel, 18th century. Peter Wessel was ennobled and given the name Tordenskjold in 1716. He was a Norwegian-Danish naval hero and the uncle of Hafslund owner Ole Christopher Wessel. The Battle of Dynekilen in 1716 is considered decisive against Karl XII, where Tordenskjold prevented the conquest of Norway. In 1719, Tordenskjold conquered the fortress of Marstrand and destroyed the last remnants of the Swedish fleet in Gothenburg. In 1720, Tordenskjold was outright murdered in an unfair duel – his opponent prevented the seconds from bringing the agreed-upon weapons, and Tordenskjold was forced to fight with a dress sword while his opponent was prepared with a fighting rapier.

The landscape painter Peder Balke received a commission for several paintings from the King of France, Louis Philippe (1830–1848), who had traveled extensively in Norway. The painting Landscape with Hafslund Manor was painted in 1846–47 and now hangs in the Louvre Museum in Paris (reproduction).

The landscape painter Christian August Lorentzen visited Norway in 1792 and subsequently painted a number of landscapes, especially waterfall scenes. The painting shows the view from the Borregård side towards Sarp and the sawmills on the Hafslund side. On the right side, Kongehøien and Hafslund Manor can be seen.

The painting has a frame from approximately 1800 and is a photographic reproduction made with permission from the National Museum.

Graphics

Hafslund owner Ole Christopher Wessel was, in addition to being a businessman, a jurist and judge, a recognized cartographer. He had two famous brothers. One was the author Johan Herman Wessel, one of the most important literary figures of the Norwegian-Danish Enlightenment, and the other was the genius mathematician Caspar Wessel, who did groundbreaking work on complex numbers.

Clausholm Castle, between Randers and Aarhus, was purchased by Mathias Huitfeldt with funds from the sale of Hafslund in 1754. The term “slot” (castle) in Denmark is only used for estates that were formerly royal residences. Clausholm belonged to Frederik IV’s wife “to the left,” Anna Cathrine Reventlow, who later became his only wife and queen after Queen Louise died. When Frederik IV died and Christian VI became king, he placed his stepmother under house arrest at Clausholm. He was very pietistic and strongly disliked his father’s relationship with Reventlow while his mother was alive. At Clausholm Castle, Mathias Huitfeldt became Diocesan Governor for Viborg and eventually Privy Conference Councillor (the highest position a Norwegian has achieved in the Danish-Norwegian monarchy).

Copper engraving of Amalienborg’s two palaces. One was built by Count Moltke, who was related to Karen Werenskiold Huitfeldt and became her and her son’s patron at the court in Copenhagen. See more about Count Moltke and Mathias Huitfeldt under the description of their portraits.

Rosenholm was the Rosenkrantz family’s castle in Jutland, Denmark. Hafslund owner Marcus Gjøe Rosenkrantz was part of this family, but his family was without fortune. Marcus Rosenkrantz eventually became, as Maren Juel’s husband, owner of both Borregård and Hafslund. He later became responsible for systematizing and preserving the Rosenkrantz family’s large and valuable archive, but it barely reached Norway before it was unfortunately lost in the Halden fire of 1826. Rosenkrantz was a highly respected official and held a number of positions and offices: Master President in Christiania, County Governor in Smaalenene in 1804, Government Commissioner 1807, Diocesan Governor in 1810, Director of Norway’s Rigsbank 1813. He was a Councillor of State and Member of Parliament for several periods, and President of the Lagting. He helped found the Society for the Welfare of Norway and was one of the largest contributors to the establishment of the University in Norway in 1811.

Copper engraving after painting

The copper engraving (copy) was made by Johan Frederik Clemens after a lost drawing by Jens Juel from 1784. The author Johan Herman Wessel was Hafslund owner Ole Christopher Wessel’s brother, and one of the most important literary figures of the Norwegian-Danish Enlightenment. His comedic poems were popular, and the idiom “to blame the baker for the smith” comes from one of them. His satirical play “Love Without Stockings” is still performed. He was also the first to use time travel as an important element in a science-fiction story “Anno 7603” from 1781. His brothers were also gifted: Hafslund owner Ole Christopher was a recognized cartographer, jurist, and judge. His other brother was the genius mathematician Caspar Wessel, who did groundbreaking work on complex numbers.

Lithographic self-portrait of Fridtjof Nansen (1861–1930), polar explorer. Nansen was the great-great-grandson of Hafslund owners Hartvig and Karen Huitfeldt through his mother Adelaide Johanne Thekla Isidore Wedel Jarlsberg, who married Baldur Fridtjof Nansen (1817–1885).

Count Adam Gottlob Moltke (1710–1792) was Frederik V’s right-hand man and practically governed Denmark-Norway during periods when Frederik V was incapacitated due to alcoholism. Moltke was related to Karen de Werenskiold Huitfeldt and became her patron. Count Moltke was, among other things, crucial for her appointment as Queen Juliane’s Mistress of the Robes and significant for her son’s career at court. Indirectly, he thus caused the Huitfeldt family’s sale of Hafslund and relocation to Denmark. Eventually, Count Moltke and Mathias Huitfeldt became in-laws when their children married each other. When Mathias Huitfeldt’s daughters died childless, Moltke’s son took over the fideicommissum after Mathias Huitfeldt and changed his name to Moltke-Huitfeldt. Gebhard Count Moltke later became Diocesan Governor in Trondheim and Akershus from 1796–1809.

Graphic print of the Constitution of November 11, 1814. The print also shows the signatures of the representatives who participated. Among these was Hafslund owner Marcus Gjøe Rosenkrantz.

Furniture

1780–90, Northern Germany

1780–90, Norwegian-Danish

Louis XVI style console table, 1780–90

Grandfather clock from around 1800. Clock case with painted chinoiserie. English movement.

Wingback chair from the 18th century. Chairs with wingbacks became particularly popular from the late 17th century in England. They provided warmth from drafts and were so comfortable that their form remains largely the same today.

Sculpture

Sculpture in patinated zinc
Denmark, approx. 1880–1900

Peter Wessel Tordenskjold (1690-1720) was a Danish-Norwegian naval hero, born in Trondheim. During the Great Northern War against Sweden and Karl XII, he won several significant victories and was ennobled with the name Tordenskjold. His adventurous lifestyle contributed to many stories and myths about his quick wit and cunning, both on land and at sea. Already during his lifetime, he became a folk hero.

Tordenskjold died in a duel where his opponent prevented the seconds from participating. Tordenskjold had to fight with a dress sword, while his opponent used a fighting rapier. He was killed, and his opponent immediately fled abroad.

Tordenskjold is particularly known for his efforts during the Battle of Dynekilen in July 1716, the attack on Gothenburg in 1717, and the conquest of Carlsten Fortress at Marstrand in July 1719. He is considered one of the greatest war heroes in Denmark-Norway and is honored with several statues in both countries.

Hafslund owner Hartvig Huitfeldt had several connections to Tordenskjold. In March 1716, Tordenskjold sailed with his famous frigate Hvide Ørn, taking Colonel Huitfeldt up to Trondheim to organize the defense. After Tordenskjold had conquered the fortress at Marstrand in 1719, Huitfeldt took command. The same year, King Frederik IV visited the fortress and awarded his highest distinction – the king’s bust with diamonds – to Gabel, Løvenørn, Tordenskjold, and Huitfeldt. Tordenskjold was also a guest at the wedding between Hartvig Huitfeldt and Karen de Werenskiold in 1719.

A further connection to Hafslund is that Ole Christopher Wessel, a later owner of the Manor, was Tordenskjold’s grandnephew. It is not known whether Tordenskjold ever visited Hafslund, but he was in Fredrikstad several times.

Books

Hafslund owner Werner Nielsen (1625–1695) was a judge and assessor (judge) in the Supreme Court. He was also part of the law commission that drafted Norwegian Law. Parts of the law are still valid today.