Christian Krohg

Christian Krohg studied at University of Oslo, Norwegian National Academy of Craft and Art Industry and Hartvig Nissen School. Training under Johan Fredrik Eckersberg, Karl Gussow and Hans Gude is recorded. Ragnhild Thrane, Marie Sandholt and Marie Henriques are recorded as having studied under Christian Krohg. The recorded working language is Norwegian and Danish. The field of work recorded is natural history. Subjects and genres recorded for the work are portrait. Employment is recorded with University of Oslo. Works named in the authority record are Man overboard, The Struggle for Existence. Work by Christian Krohg is recorded in the collections of Minneapolis Institute of Art, Nationalmuseum, Oslo Museum, Museum Stavanger and National Museum of Art, Architecture and Design. Distinctions recorded are Knight First Class of the Order of St.

• Name — Christian Krohg • Born — 13 August 1852 • Birthplace — Vestre Aker, Norway • Died — 16 October 1925 • Place of death — Oslo, Norway • Field — naturalist painter • Education — University of Christiana • Movement — Naturalism • Children — 2, including Per • Illustration — Portrait of Christian Krohg Oda Krohg (c. 1903) • Illustration — Self-portrait (1917)

Christian Krohg was born at Vestre Aker (now Oslo), Norway. 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 cand.jur. 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 founding 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 1893–1894. 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. There are notable collections of art by Christian Krohg in the National Museum of Art, Architecture and Design in Oslo and at Skagens Museum in Denmark.

He 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. A bronze statue of Krohg by sculptors Per Hurum and Asbjørg Borgfelt was erected at the crossing of Lille Grensen-Karl Johans gate in Oslo in 1960.

• Illustration — Portrait of the Painter Gerhard Munthe • Illustration — Oda Krohg (Portrait of Oda Krohg. 1888) • Illustration — Selvportrett med staffeli (Self-portrait with easel. 1912)

• Illustration — Silda Kommer (The herring are in) • Illustration — Babord litt (Port side, 1879) • Illustration — Håret flettes (The hair is being braided, 1882) • Illustration — Sovende mor med barn (Sleeping mother with child, 1883) • Illustration — Trett (Tired, 1885) • Illustration — Albertine i politilægens venteværelse (Albertine at the Police Doctor's Waiting Room, 1885–87) • Illustration — Kampen for tilværelsen (Struggle for existence, c. 1888–89) • Illustration — Leiv Eriksson oppdager Amerika (Leiv Eirikson discovering America, 1893) • Illustration — 17 mai 1893 (May 17, 1893)

• Thue, Oscar (1997) Christian Krohg (Oaslo: Aschehoug) • Thue, Oscar (1971) Christian Krohgs portretter (Oslo: Gyldendal) • Bryne, Arvid (2009) Christian Krohg. Journalisten (Oslo: Unipub Forlag)