Artwork
Portrait of the French painter Alfred Guillou
Portrait of the French painter Alfred Guillou is an oil painting by the Impressionist artist Peder Severin Krøyer. It dates from 1890 and is held in the collection of the Statens Museum for Kunst.
About this work
This painting shows a man with a thick beard and a red mark on his neck, looking slightly to the side.
This painting shows a man with a thick beard and a red mark on his neck, looking slightly to the side. His skin is painted in warm tones, while the background stays dark. The brushstrokes are thick and visible, especially on his collar and beard.
The artist signed the painting in the corner, but the name isn’t easy to read. This portrait was painted in 1879.
Next, check out Peder Severin Krøyer, the artist who made this painting.
Subject & Meaning
The painting depicts Alfred Guillou, a French painter, seated in a three-quarter view and looking directly at the viewer.
Painted in 1879 by Peder Severin Krøyer, the work emphasizes the sitter’s identity as a fellow artist through its portrait genre conventions. The unadorned setting and direct gaze focus attention on Guillou’s presence rather than on allegorical or symbolic props, aligning with the portrait’s purpose of representing an individual subject. Measuring 32.5 by 25.3 centimeters, the painting’s modest scale and restrained composition underscore its function as a personal likeness rather than a grand statement.
Technique & Style
Executed in oil on wood, the portrait measures 32.5 cm in height and 25.3 cm in width. The handling is characterized by fine, controlled brushwork that renders the sitter’s features with clarity while maintaining a subtle luminosity in the handling of flesh tones. The composition is restrained, with the figure positioned centrally against a neutral background that directs attention to the face.
Stylistically, the work aligns with Krøyer’s early naturalism, emphasizing direct observation and understated psychological presence rather than dramatic stylization.
History & Provenance
Peder Severin Krøyer created the portrait of Alfred Guillou in 1879. The work is executed in oil paint on a wood support and measures 32.5 cm in height by 25.3 cm in width. The painting currently resides in the collection of the Statens Museum for Kunst.
While the specific commission details and the full chain of ownership prior to its museum acquisition are not detailed in the provided records, the work was completed at the start of 1879.
The painting is held by Statens Museum for Kunst in Copenhagen, where it is inventoried as a work by Peder Severin Krøyer.
It has not been identified as having been exhibited outside the museum’s permanent holdings in the documented record.
Legacy
The 1879 wood portrait of Alfred Guillou by Peder Severin Krøyer, housed in the Statens Museum for Kunst, contributed to Guillou's posthumous recognition within Scandinavian art circles, though it did not achieve widespread fame. The work's inclusion in the museum's collection and its genre as a portrait of a contemporary painter have been cited in scholarly discussions of Krøyer's role in documenting artistic figures of his era, reflecting the painting's quiet significance in the historical record of Nordic portraiture.
Overview
Peder Severin Krøyer’s portrait of the French artist Alfred Guillou is an oil work on wood dating from the late 19th century, presently in the collection of Denmark’s Statens Museum for Kunst. The composition presents Guillou in a half‑length view, his gaze turned slightly away, set against a darkened backdrop that emphasizes the figure’s warm‑toned flesh.
Context
Created during a period when Krøyer was establishing his reputation among Scandinavian artists, the work exemplifies his interest in portraying fellow painters. Guillou, a French colleague, was part of the broader network of artists exchanging ideas across Europe in the 1880s‑90s.
Own this work as a print
Artist & collection
