Johanna Eleonora De la Gardie

Johanna Eleonora De la Gardie (1661 in Hamburg – 1708 in Stockholm), was a Swedish writer, poet, lady-in-waiting and noblewoman.

Johanna was the daughter of Pontus Fredrik De la Gardie and Beata Elisabet von Königsmarck. She received a cultivated education, along with her sister Ebba Maria De la Gardie and her cousins Amalia Wilhelmina Königsmarck and Maria Aurora of Königsmarck; her sister became a respected poet and singer at court. Johanna became lady-in-waiting and, with her sister, a favourite of Queen Ulrika Eleonora of Denmark, and was also a friend of the queen dowager, Hedwig Eleonora of Holstein-Gottorp.

Johanna participated at the amateur theatre of the royal court, encouraged by Queen Eleanora. In the winter of 1683-84, a group of female courtiers performed the Swedish premiere of Iphigénie by Racine at court. In the play, Johanna acted the part of Iphigenie, Amalia Königsmarck as Achilles, Aurora Königsmarck as Clitemnestre, Augusta Wrangel as Agamemnon, and Ebba Maria De la Gardie as Eriphile.^[1] This is regarded as a significant event, the first play performed by an all–female cast in Sweden, as an introduction of French Classicism in Sweden.^[2]

She wrote the French poem Portrait d’Ismène for Ulrika Eleonora, and the German–language psalm Weich, Falsche Welt. She encouraged poets and writers; she is remembered as benefactor and teacher of the poet and politician Samuel Triewald.

In 1691, Johanna married her cousin, Count Erik Gustaf Stenbock. They lived in England until 1697, where she became popular at the English court of Queen Mary.

Notes

References

• Anteckningar om svenska qvinnor
• Svenskt biografiskt handlexikon
• P. Hanselli: Samlade vitterhetsarbeten af svenska författare från Stjernhjelm till Dalin (1867)