Christian Krohg Biography

Christian Krohg (1852-1925) was a Norwegian naturalist painter, illustrator, author, and journalist. The realism art movement inspired Krohg, and he often chose motifs from everyday life. He was the director and served as the first professor at the Norwegian Academy of Arts from 1909 to 1925.

Krohg was born at Vestre Aker (now Oslo), Norway, on 13th August 1852. He was one of five children born to Georg Anton Krohg (1817-1873) and Sophie Amalia Holst (1822-1861). He was a grandson of Christian Krohg (1777-1828), who had served as a government minister. His father was a civil servant, journalist, and author. His mother died when he was only 8 years old, and his father's sister took over responsibility for the household and the upbringing of the children. From 1861, he attended Hartvig Nissen School.

His father had asked him to pursue a legal career. Krohg studied law at the University of Oslo (then Christiania), graduating in 1873, the same year in which his father died. During 1869-70, he had also studied at the art school of Johan Fredrik Eckersberg at Lille Grensen in Christiania. He was additionally educated in Germany, first at the Baden School of Art in Karlsruhe under Hans Gude in 1874. He also trained under Karl Gussow from 1875. He followed with study at the Königliche Akademie in Berlin from 1875 to 1878.

He was awarded the Schäffer's legacy (1876-77) and received a government travel allowance during 1877-78 and in 1881. In 1879, on the encouragement of artist Frits Thaulow, he visited the Skagen artists' colony. He returned to Skagen in 1882-1884 and 1888. Through his periodic future residence at Skagen, he would influence other artists, including Anna and Michael Ancher, and provided early support to Edvard Munch.

Krohg worked in Paris from 1881 to 1882. Inspired by the ideas of the realists, he chose motifs primarily from everyday life, often its darker or socially inferior sides. Prostitution is the subject of his painting Albertine i politilægens venteværelse, and Krohg also wrote a novel about the depicted scene. The novel, Albertine, caused a scandal when first published, and it was confiscated by the police.

Krohg's style made him a leading figure in the transition from romanticism to naturalism.

Krohg was the founder and editor-in-chief of the Kristiania Bohemian journal, Impressionisten, from 1886 until 1890. He then became a journalist for the Oslo newspaper Verdens Gang from 1890 to 1910. Christian Krohg was also associated with Politiken from 1893 to 1894.

He taught at Académie Colarossi in Paris from 1902 until 1909. Later, he became a professor-director at the Norwegian Academy of Arts (Statens Kunstakademi) from 1909 until 1925.

Christian Krohg received numerous national and international awards during his career. In 1889, he was made a Knight in the French Legion of Honour and entered in the Belgian Order of Leopold in 1894. He served as Norwegian Commissioner at the Exposition Internationale d'Anvers at Antwerp in 1894 and held membership in the Société Nouvelle de Peintres et de Sculpteurs from 1900. Krohg was made a Knight 1st Class in the Order of St. Olav in 1900 and received the Command Cross in 1910.

Krohg was married to artist Oda Lasson (1860-1935). In 1885, their daughter Nana (1885-1974) was born, and in 1889 their son, muralist Per Lasson Krohg (1889-1965). In 1888, Oda obtained a divorce from her first husband, Jørgen Engelhardt; they were married in that same year. In 1897, his wife took their son Per and moved to Paris with dramatist Gunnar Heiberg. They were later reconciled. In 1914, Christian Krohg established residence near Frogner Park, where he died in 1925. Oda Krohg died in 1935. Both were buried at Vår Frelsers gravlund in Oslo.