Bror Hjorth

"The Laestadius Crucifix" was created during Bror Hjort's work with the commission to execute the altarpiece for Jukkasjärvi Church in Lapland in 1955.The result was a three-part painted relief in wood that covers almost the entire altar wall of the small red wooden church. The motif features the priest Lars Levi Laestadius (1800-1861) in scenes from his life and work. The commissioner was the Swedish mining company LKAB, which wanted to donate a new altarpiece to the church in connection with the church's 350th anniversary. The congregation in Jukkasjärvi was initially sceptical of Bror Hjort's work. The dominant colourful altarpiece stood in stark contrast to the earlier decorations in the church, but today the altarpiece, along with the Icehotel, is one of Jukkasjärvi's major attractions. "The Laestadius Crucifix," executed in painted cement, is placed in the Karesuando Church near Kiruna in northern Sweden.