Description

The Norwegian painter, author, and journalist Christian Krohg (1852-1925) is known for his naturalist paintings about the sick and the poor and prostitution. Lesser known are his many studio paintings, portraits of artist friends, and late self-portraits from his studio. This book shows the importance of Krohg's studio as a space not only for art making but also as a place where some of the most pioneering and radical artists, authors, playwrights, and actors met. The circle of friends and colleagues meeting in Krohg's studio were part of the scandalous artist group known as the Kristiania Bohemians. In this study the reader will meet not only Krohg, but also his painter wife, the mythical Oda Krohg, the young Edvard Munch, the anarchist Hans JAeger, playwright Gunnar Heiberg, and the forgotten muse Constance Bruun - one of Henrik Ibsen's favorite actresses. The close and complex relationship between Krohg and Munch will surprise many readers. This book will be a necessary read for anyone interested in Scandinavian nineteenth-century art and culture.