Your Guide to Axel Ebbe

Discover Axel Ebbe's Art

In Skåne, we love to enrich body and soul with art and cultural excursions! Join Liselott Hylén, curator at the Trelleborg Museum, on an exciting art walk in the footsteps of Axel Ebbe. Discover the artist’s public works in and around Trelleborg’s lush City Park and finish with a coffee break at one of the city’s cafés. You’ll take the walk on your own. Axel Ebbe (1868–1941) was an artist born in Hököpinge who became a highly regarded sculptor, author, and printmaker.

In the early 1900s, Axel Ebbe was one of Sweden’s most famous sculptors, and his works can be seen in many cities in Skåne. Perhaps you’re familiar with *Arbetets Ära* (The Glory of Labor) at Möllevångstorget in Malmö or *Mannen som bryter sig ur Klippan* (The Man Breaking Free from the Cliff) at Universitetsplatsen in Lund? He is probably best known, however, for his graceful sculptures of female figures, such as *Solrosen* (The Sunflower) in Kungsparken in Malmö and *Famntaget* (The Embrace) in Smygehuk.

“What fascinates me about Axel Ebbe’s work is how classical sculpture is imbued with symbolism,” says Liselott. “The exquisite woman—Ebbe’s portrayal of the ideal woman of his time—may be what first catches the eye, but if you look closer, there’s usually a twist. The beautiful is set in contrast with the slightly frightening or the imaginative. For Axel Ebbe, the idea behind the works was almost more important than the result itself, and the titles are always well-thought-out and spot-on.”
Liselott Hylén, Curator at Trelleborg Museum.

Irrbloss

Next to the art gallery lies Stadsparken, and in the bird pond stands Axel Ebbe’s *Irrbloss*. A graceful and elegant female figure balances effortlessly on one leg atop a skull. In one hand, she holds a flame. Once again, beauty meets the unsettling.

A will-o'-the-wisp was a mythological creature with roots in folklore and the world of fairy tales. A wandering spirit that had done as much good as evil in life and therefore went neither to heaven nor to hell. Another belief was that the will-o’-the-wisp was someone who had been tricked into walking into a marsh and, after their death, had become a will-o’-the-wisp—a flame that would forever dance around the place where they died. The sculpture was unveiled in 1919 and was the first public work of art in Trelleborg.

At Demantehällen

In the fountain sculpture next to Axel Ebbe’s Art Hall, we see two mermaids trying to fend off a chubby boy figure with an unpleasant expression. The beautiful, graceful female figures stand in sharp contrast to the unpleasant one. The boy-like figure is trying to grab one of the mermaids by her fish tail and pull her toward him, while she tries to stay on the rock.

“Deep in the sea on the diamond-studded rocks, the Näcken rests in a verdant hall,” wrote Arvid August Afzelius in the song *Näckens polska* from 1904. Perhaps this is where Axel Ebbe drew the title of the artwork? Is the sculpture about Näcken and Ägir’s daughters? Näcken was an embodiment of various dangers in bodies of water and would sometimes try to lure people in order to drown them. No wonder the female figures are trying to escape.

The fountain sculpture is also on public display in Hässleholm.

The Toy

The relief *The Toy* is featured on the art gallery’s facade. A cherub with curly hair and angel wings is battling a small demon with claws, a tail, and pointed wings. They are tugging and pulling at a toy—a small sphere representing the globe. The demon holds the sphere close to its body, while the cherub tries every trick in the book to pull it toward itself. A battle between good and evil.

The Sea Serpent Fountain

If you walk west through the city park toward Stortorget, you’ll come across the magnificent Sea Serpent Fountain. The fountain is no small, modest creation—it’s grand, ornate, and imposing! It’s 4 meters high, and if the sea serpent were to stretch out fully, it would be a full 50 meters long.

A beautiful mermaid with flowing hair struggles to tame a lively sea serpent whose long, slender body swirls around, forming the shape of the fountain. From the sea serpent’s mouth, cascades of water pour down over its back and the mermaid.

The motif depicts a struggle between something beautiful and something slightly frightening or threatening—a recurring theme in Axel Ebbe’s work. One wonders: is this a battle in which she overcomes the sea serpent, or is it her mode of transportation?

The Church Grime

The sculpture that guards the entrance to the art gallery could, when illuminated by bright lights in the evening, frighten even the bravest of people. Long ago, people would sacrifice an animal during the construction of churches and shrines to protect the building at night—a church grim.

Surely Axel Ebbe wanted to protect his sanctuary? Fortunately, no animal lost its life here, but a church gargoyle was created. Here, it takes the form of a winged creature that is a cross between a gargoyle and a ram.

Axel Ebbe's Art Gallery

The best place to start the art walk is at Axel Ebbe’s own art gallery. The gallery is currently open only during the summer, but it is an architectural gem, and several of the artist’s works can be found on the facade and in the surrounding area. The gallery opened in 1935, and Axel Ebbe himself helped design it together with architect Carl-Axel Stoltz.