Who painted Socrates and Alcibiades?

Socrates and Alcibiades was painted by Kristian Zahrtmann in 1911-01-01.

Where can I see Socrates and Alcibiades?

Socrates and Alcibiades is held by Statens Museum for Kunst.

What movement is Socrates and Alcibiades?

Socrates and Alcibiades is associated with Symbolism.

Can I buy a print of Socrates and Alcibiades?

Museum-quality prints of Socrates and Alcibiades are available made-to-order from Artifact World Gallery.

Artwork

Socrates and Alcibiades

Kristian Zahrtmann , 1911

Socrates and Alcibiades is an oil painting by the Symbolist artist Kristian Zahrtmann. It dates from 1911 and is held in the collection of the Statens Museum for Kunst.

About this work

Subject & Meaning

The work is held by Statens Museum for Kunst, where it remains part of the museum's collection of Danish portraiture.

The painting portrays the classical philosophers Socrates and Alcibiades, figures drawn from ancient Greek thought that symbolize moral contrast and political potential. Zahrtmann arranges them within a group portrait format, emphasizing their intellectual interaction while grounding the composition in the formal conventions of early twentieth-century academic art. The work is held by Statens Museum for Kunst, where it remains part of the museum's collection of Danish portraiture.

Technique & Style

Kristian Zahrtmann painted Socrates and Alcibiades in 1911 using oil on canvas. The work measures 36.8 cm in height and 37 cm in width and belongs to the portrait genre within the broader group portrait category. It is executed in oil paint, characteristic of the artist's approach during this period, and is housed in the collection of Statens Museum for Kunst where it remains on display.

History & Provenance

Socrates and Alcibiades is an oil painting created by Kristian Zahrtmann in 1911. No information is provided in the available sources regarding a commission, the circumstances of its creation, or the chain of ownership prior to its current location. The work is held in the collection of the Statens Museum for Kunst, where it is currently located, but the sources do not document when or how it entered the museum's holdings, nor do they identify any previous owners or custodians. The painting's inception is recorded as 1911, with no further dating evidence offered.

The absence of provenance details in the sources means that the ownership history and commissioning circumstances of the work cannot be substantiated beyond the fact of its present placement at the Statens Museum for Kunst.

Kristian Zahrtmann's 1911 oil painting Socrates and Alcibiades is held in the collection of the Statens Museum for Kunst in Copenhagen. The work, which depicts the historical figures Socrates and Alcibiades, is executed in oil on canvas and measures 36.8 cm in height by 37 cm in width. As a group portrait created at the beginning of the twentieth century, the piece remains part of the museum's permanent holdings.

Overview

Created in 1911 by Danish painter Kristian Zahrtmann, this oil on canvas presents a dialogue between two classical figures, Socrates and Alcibiades. Rendered within the Symbolist aesthetic, the composition focuses on the intimate exchange of ideas, set against a deep blue backdrop that isolates the pair from any surrounding narrative.

Context

The early twentieth century saw Danish artists rejecting the idealized classicism of the Golden Age, favoring instead a realism that could convey psychological depth. Zahrtmann’s choice of Socrates and Alcibiades reflects this trend, using ancient philosophers as vehicles for contemporary questions about morality, power, and the role of the individual in society.