Elevation of the Altar Wall in the Royal Chapel at Kronborg Castle, Denmark

This monumental drawing shows an interior elevation of the Royal Chapel at Kronborg Castle, with its main altar and pulpit. Located in the Channel between Sweden and Denmark, the castle was built in the late sixteenth century by architects of Dutch descent. Soon after, it was immortalized by William Shakespeare, who used the site as Castle Elsinore in Hamlet. In 1629, a large part of the castle was destroyed during a fire, but due to the strength of its vaults the chapel was one of the few structures to survive. During the eighteenth century, the castle became a military stronghold and the chapel was transformed into a gymnasium and fencing hall. The original furnishings were preserved, however, and the chapel underwent restoration treatment between 1838 and 1843. During this period, Kronborg fell under the supervision of the architect Frederik Ferdinand Friis (1793-1865), Royal Building Inspector of Zealand, but the restoration of the chapel was carried out by Michael Gottlieb Bindesbøll (1800 – 1856). The current drawing dates from this period, and shows the interiors after the renovation. Related drawings by Bindesbøll for this project are kept in the Danish National Art Library in Copenhagen.