Julia Kristina Nyberg was born in the parish of Skultuna in Västmanland County, Sweden. Her parents, Per Svärdström (1726-1789) and Beata Eliasdotter Almgren (1747-1799), both died while she was young. She grew up as the foster daughter of industrialist and mill owner, named Adlerwald She moved in 1809 to Stockholm, where she was influenced the Aurora League (Aurora-förbundet) an artistic society under the leadership of Per Daniel Amadeus Atterbom.