Albert Edelfelt
Encyclopedia
Albert Gustaf Aristides Edelfelt (21 July 1854 – 18 August 1905) was a Swedish-speaking Finnish
painter
.
Albert Edelfelt was born in Porvoo
, Finland
. His father Carl Albert was an architect
. Edelfelt admired the poet Johan Ludvig Runeberg
, who was a friend of the family. The company of Runeberg had a lasting impact on Edelfelt, who from time to time turned to scenes from Finnish history in his paintings. Edelfelt went on to illustrate Runeberg's epic poem The Tales of Ensign Stål
. He studied art in Antwerp (1873–1874), Paris
(1874–1878) and Saint Petersburg
(1881–1882).
He married Baroness (friherinnan) Ellan de la Chapelle in 1888 and they had one child.
Edelfelt was one of the first Finnish artists to achieve international fame. He enjoyed considerable success in Paris
and was one of the founders of the Realist
art movement in Finland. He influenced several younger Finnish painters and helped fellow Finnish artists such as Akseli Gallen-Kallela
to make their breakthrough in Paris.
Albert Edelfelt was selected as the main motif in a recent Finnish commemorative coin celebrating the 150th anniversary of his birth, the €100 Albert Edelfelt and painting commemorative coin, minted in 2004. The reverse shows an embossed face of the artist.
Finland
Finland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...
painter
Painting
Painting is the practice of applying paint, pigment, color or other medium to a surface . The application of the medium is commonly applied to the base with a brush but other objects can be used. In art, the term painting describes both the act and the result of the action. However, painting is...
.
Albert Edelfelt was born in Porvoo
Porvoo
Porvoo is a city and a municipality situated on the southern coast of Finland approximately east of Helsinki. Porvoo is one of the six medieval towns in Finland, first mentioned as a city in texts from 14th century...
, Finland
Finland
Finland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...
. His father Carl Albert was an architect
Architect
An architect is a person trained in the planning, design and oversight of the construction of buildings. To practice architecture means to offer or render services in connection with the design and construction of a building, or group of buildings and the space within the site surrounding the...
. Edelfelt admired the poet Johan Ludvig Runeberg
Johan Ludvig Runeberg
Johan Ludvig Runeberg was a Finnish poet, and is the national poet of Finland. He wrote in the Swedish language....
, who was a friend of the family. The company of Runeberg had a lasting impact on Edelfelt, who from time to time turned to scenes from Finnish history in his paintings. Edelfelt went on to illustrate Runeberg's epic poem The Tales of Ensign Stål
The Tales of Ensign Stål
The Tales of Ensign Stål is an epic poem written in Swedish by the Finland-Swedish author Johan Ludvig Runeberg, the national poet of Finland...
. He studied art in Antwerp (1873–1874), Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
(1874–1878) and Saint Petersburg
Saint Petersburg
Saint Petersburg is a city and a federal subject of Russia located on the Neva River at the head of the Gulf of Finland on the Baltic Sea...
(1881–1882).
He married Baroness (friherinnan) Ellan de la Chapelle in 1888 and they had one child.
Edelfelt was one of the first Finnish artists to achieve international fame. He enjoyed considerable success in Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
and was one of the founders of the Realist
Realism (arts)
Realism in the visual arts and literature refers to the general attempt to depict subjects "in accordance with secular, empirical rules", as they are considered to exist in third person objective reality, without embellishment or interpretation...
art movement in Finland. He influenced several younger Finnish painters and helped fellow Finnish artists such as Akseli Gallen-Kallela
Akseli Gallen-Kallela
Akseli Gallen-Kallela was a Finnish painter who is best known for his illustrations of the Kalevala, the Finnish national epic . His work was considered very important for the Finnish national identity...
to make their breakthrough in Paris.
150th Anniversary Celebrations
Paintings
- Queen Blanka (1877)
- Duke KarlCharles IX of SwedenCharles IX of Sweden also Carl, was King of Sweden from 1604 until his death. He was the youngest son of King Gustav I of Sweden and his second wife, Margaret Leijonhufvud, brother of Eric XIV and John III of Sweden, and uncle of Sigismund III Vasa king of both Sweden and Poland...
Insulting the Corpse of Klaus FlemingKlaus FlemingBaron Clas Eriksson Fleming was a Finnish-born member of the Swedish nobility and admiral, who played an important role in Finnish and Swedish history during the rise of Sweden as a Great Power...
(1878) - A Child's Funeral (1879)
- Under the Birches (1881)
- Virginie (1883)
- At the sea (1883)
- Boys on the Shore (1884)
- Portrait of Louis Pasteur (1885)
- Women of RuokolahtiRuokolahtiRuokolahti is a municipality of Finland, situated in south-eastern Finland, in the region of South Karelia. Neighbouring municipalities are Imatra, Lappeenranta, Taipalsaari, Puumala, Sulkava, Punkaharju, Parikkala and Rautjärvi...
on the Church Hill (1887) - The Luxembourg Garden (1887)
- Christ and Mataleena (1890)
- Porilaisten marssiPorilaisten marssiPorilaisten marssi is the honorary march of the Finnish Defence Forces since 1918, composed by an unknown composer in the 18th century. The original text was written in Swedish by the Finnish national poet Johan Ludvig Runeberg in his epic poem The Tales of Ensign Stål...
(1890) - Portrait of Nicholas II of RussiaNicholas II of RussiaNicholas II was the last Emperor of Russia, Grand Prince of Finland, and titular King of Poland. His official short title was Nicholas II, Emperor and Autocrat of All the Russias and he is known as Saint Nicholas the Passion-Bearer by the Russian Orthodox Church.Nicholas II ruled from 1894 until...
(1896) - Portrait of Aino AcktéAino AcktéAino Ackté was a Finnish soprano. She was the first international star of the Finnish opera scene after Alma Fohström, and a groundbreaker for the domestic field....
(1901) - Inauguration of the Academy of TurkuThe Royal Academy of TurkuThe Royal Academy of Turku was the first university in Finland, and the only university in present-day Finland to be founded when it was still a part of Sweden. In 1809, after Finland became a Grand Duchy under the suzerainty of the Russian Tzar, it was renamed the Imperial Academy of Turku...
(1904)