Do you know Christian Krohg? If not, the Musée d'Orsay in Paris is devoting a brand-new exhibition to him this spring and summer. On view from March 25 to July 27, 2025, this retrospective entitled " Christian Krohg. Le peuple du nord " is an opportunity to admire the works of this Norwegian artist, popular in northern Europe but virtually unknown in France.
Christian Krohg (1852-1925) was a painter, illustrator, writer and journalist. Also a traveler, the Scandinavian artist trained for 5 years in painting techniques in Germany, before moving to the Danish peninsula of Skagen in 1879, and spending many years in Paris. He finally decided to end his artistic career at home in Norway, becoming director of the Oslo Academy of Fine Arts until his death in 1925.
His works truly marked the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Christian Krohg was a profoundly humanist, libertarian and feminist painter. Through his works, the artist sought to raise awareness of certain moral and social issues, such as poverty, famine and the status of women.
By presenting an in-depth overview of Christian Krohg's artistic career, the Musée d'Orsay reveals the artist's links with the political and social struggles of his time, while highlighting his committed, naturalistic painting.
With some fifty paintings on display, visitors can discover his pictorial links with French artists such as Gustave Courbet and Édouard Manet. There's also his very fine series of sailors, whose first canvas"Bâbord!"(1879) marked a turning point in the artist's career, thanks in particular to its framing inspired by photography.
Not to be forgotten are his portraits of members of the bohemian milieu of Kristiania, the capital and future Oslo. These include Swedish writer August Strindberg and Norwegian painter Gerhard Munthe.
The Musée d'Orsay is also exhibiting several of the Scandinavian painter's works of social art. Evoking extreme precariousness and prostitution, they had an undeniable impact on Norwegian society. The exhibition also features"Albertine", a realistic novel by Christian Krohg. Published in 1886, it was immediately banned for"offending public decency".
Christian Krohg 's talent for capturing everyday life with insatiable realism is evident in his paintings of families, notably that of Les Gaihede, a fishing family based in Skagen in northern Denmark.
The exhibition " Christian Krohg. The People of the North " will undoubtedly appeal to lovers of painting, more specifically naturalism and impressionism, but also to the curious who would like to learn more about Scandinavian art. The only downside is that we'd have liked to see even more!
To find out more about the personal and artistic life of this Norwegian painter, visit the Musée d'Orsay from March 25 to July 27, 2025.
In addition, the Musée d'Orsay is organizing several events around the exhibition " Christian Krohg. The People of the North " exhibition. On April 8, an inaugural lecture will be given by Servane Dargnies De Vitry, curator of painting at the Musée d'Orsay and curator of the exhibition. On April 10, 2025, the Musée d'Orsay invites Jon Fosse, winner of the 2023 Nobel Prize for Literature, for an exceptional evening reading.
Dates and Opening Time
From March 25, 2025 to July 27, 2025
Location
Musée d'Orsay
62 rue de Lille
75007 Paris 7
Prices
Nocturne: €12
Tarif réduit: €13
Plein tarif: €16
| 27/3 | 28/3 | 29/3 | 30/3 | 31/3 | 1/4 | 2/4 | 3/4 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10h | ||||||||
| 11h | ||||||||
| 12h | ||||||||
| 13h | ||||||||
| 14h | ||||||||
| 15h | ||||||||
| 16h | ||||||||
| 17h | ||||||||
| 18h | ||||||||
| 19h | ||||||||
| Fermé Affluence faible Affluence moyenne Affluence forte | ||||||||
