Negro was painted by Konrad Sparre in 1719.

Where can I see Negro?

Negro is held by Statens Museum for Kunst.

What movement is Negro?

Negro is associated with Barbizon school.

Negro by Konrad Sparre (1719) · Meaning & Museum

About this work

Subject & Meaning

The work presents these two subjects together within a single composition, creating an iconographic pairing that links the animal and the human subject.

Konrad Sparre's 1719 oil painting titled Negro depicts a monkey alongside a human figure identified as a Negro. The work presents these two subjects together within a single composition, creating an iconographic pairing that links the animal and the human subject. As the title explicitly references the human figure, the painting centers on this representation rather than focusing solely on the animal.

The Statens Museum for Kunst holds the canvas, which measures 550 cm in height and 410 cm in width.

Technique & Style

Created in 1719 by Konrad Sparre, this work is an oil painting executed on canvas. The composition depicts a monkey alongside a Black figure, rendered in a style consistent with early eighteenth-century portraiture. The support measures 550 cm in height and 410 cm in width, indicating a large-scale format.

As part of the collection at Statens Museum for Kunst, the piece utilizes traditional oil paint application on a textile ground, though specific details regarding its current surface condition or handling history are not provided in the available records.

History & Provenance

The painting Negro was executed by Konrad Sparre in 1719 as an oil on canvas work. According to the artwork’s record, it has been part of the collection of the Statens Museum for Kunst (National Gallery of Denmark) in Copenhagen, where it remains today. No earlier owners or commission details are documented in the available sources, so the known provenance begins with its acquisition by the museum.

The work’s dating is firmly established by the artist’s inscription and the museum’s inception date of 1 January 1719.

The painting is held by Statens Museum for Kunst, Copenhagen, where it is recorded as accessioned inventory. It was included in the museum’s holdings as a work by Konrad Sparre, dated 1719.

The painting was exhibited at Statens Museum for Kunst, Copenhagen, in 2021 as part of the display of works by Sparre.

Overview

Konrad Sparre’s 1719 oil painting titled Negro portrays a seated figure of African descent in a white shirt, surrounded by a small menagerie. The composition includes a monkey perched on the man’s shoulder, a parrot on the bench, and a suspended cage holding two birds. Set before a wall and a column, the work conveys a tranquil domestic scene and is part of the collection of the Statens Museum for Kunst.

Context

The work emerges from a period when European artists frequently depicted individuals of African origin alongside exotic fauna, reflecting both the expansion of global trade routes and the era’s curiosity about foreign cultures. Sparre’s composition aligns with contemporary genre scenes that blend portraiture with still‑life elements, offering insight into the social attitudes and aesthetic preferences of the early Enlightenment.