Christian Krohg exhibition in Paris

On March 25, the Musée d’Orsay opened an exhibition dedicated to the celebrated Norwegian artist Christian Krohg. Widely known in Northern Europe but virtually unknown in France, Krohg was not only a painter but also a naturalist, illustrator, writer, and journalist.

His family had hoped he would follow in his father's footsteps and pursue a career in law, but Krohg dreamed of becoming an artist. In the end, he managed to fulfill both callings.

After graduating from the law faculty in Kristiania (modern-day Oslo), he enrolled in the Academy of Fine Arts in Karlsruhe to study visual art. While many young Norwegian artists at the time moved to Munich to continue their education, Krohg followed his mentor Karl Gussow to Berlin. There, the stark realities of urban life awakened in him a deep social consciousness – a force that would shape his entire career, focused on confronting pressing social issues through art.

Christian Krohg’s work had a significant influence on the artistic movements of the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

A humanist at heart, Krohg used his art to draw public attention to urgent social and moral challenges – poverty, hunger, and gender inequality among them.

The exhibition features around fifty works, allowing visitors to trace the artist’s stylistic connections to prominent French masters such as Gustave Courbet and Édouard Manet.

Highlights include a compelling series of sailor portraits, beginning with the painting Bâbord (1879), a pivotal work in Krohg’s career that clearly reflects the influence of photography.

Krohg’s unique ability to depict everyday life with realism shines through in his intimate family portraits, capturing moments of domestic life with sincerity and depth.

Titled “Christian Krohg: The People of the North”, the exhibition is a major event for admirers of painting, especially those interested in Naturalism, Impressionism, and Scandinavian art.

The exhibition runs through July 27, 2025.