P.S. Krøyer is one of the most central figures of the modern breakthrough in Danish art, alongside Vilhelm Hammershøi and L.A. Ring. “There is a time of day I cannot resist in Skagen. It is when the moonlight quietly lingers above the beach. You will find me there immediately with my sketchbook,” said Krøyer. He recreated the lifeblood of Skagen and depicted the artists’ carefree lives and evocative evenings by the sea in the special light, where it occurred. As a plein-air painter, Krøyer seized the light of the moment and brought it to life on the canvas. The motifs from Skagen brought him international fame and recognition.
P.S. Krøyer’s Masterpieces, the “Blue Hour” and Summer Evenings With Marie Krøyer
P.S. Krøyer was one of the greatest portrait painters of the period, but when he visited Skagen for the first time in the summer of 1882, he was drawn to the nature, the light and the milieu. So he moved to Skagen together with his wife and fellow artist, Marie Krøyer. With the arrival of the Krøyers, the Skagen painters evolved from being a small artistic movement to gaining great international attention. Festive gatherings became the motifs of some of his best-known works, such as “Hip Hip Hurrah!” from 1888 (The Gothenburg Museum of Art). Krøyer’s depictions of the quiet “blue hour” at Skagen beach are also particularly well-known, his most iconic work being “Summer Evening at Skagen Sønderstrand” from 1893 (the Art Museums of Skagen). Krøyer painted many self-portraits, including a self-portrait from Skagen beach, 1888, which hangs at Galleria degli Uffizi in Florence.
Special Events and Troubled Times in P.S. Krøyer’s Life
P.S. Krøyer possessed a unique talent for drawing. His studies with Léon Bonnat in Paris were pivotal. In 1877, his talent took him to France, Spain and Italy. His honeymoon in Italy with his wife Marie, which went on for several years, was also a great personal and artistic experience. But Krøyer became increasingly manic, and it took a toll on those around him. So much so that in 1902 Marie met and fell in love with the Swedish composer Hugo Alfvén. Krøyer was hospitalised several times for treatment for his mental illness.
Some of P.S. Krøyer’s Exhibitions
Charlottenborg’s Spring Exhibition, 1871–79, 1881–89, 1891–93, 1905 and 1907–09;
the December Exhibition, Charlottenborg 1878; the Paris Exposition 1878 and 1889; Kunstforeningen (The Art Society), Copenhagen 1891, 1894, 1901, 1910, 1980; the World’s Columbian Exposition in Chicago 1893; Exposition Universelle, Paris 1900; Dansk Kunsthandel, Industriforeningen, Copenhagen 1879; the Salon, Paris 1880–82, 1884 and 1887; the Nordic Exhibition of Art, Gothenburg 1881; the Nordic Exhibition of Art, Copenhagen 1883 and 1888; Erster Internationaler Kunstausstellung, Wien 1882; International Exhibition, London 1884; Den Frie Udstilling (the Free Exhibition), Copenhagen 1891–93, 1895–96, 1898–1903, 1905 and 1907–09; International Kunstausstellung, Berlin 1891; Société international, Champs de Mars, Paris 1893; the Venice Biennale 1895; The Glasgow School: Artists of Denmark, Glasgow 1895; Danish National Exhibition, Brooklyn 1927; L’Art danois, Jeu de Paume, Paris 1928; Danish Exhibition, Bucharest, Beograd 1936–37; Les peintres de Skagen, Maison du Danemark, Paris 1980; the 1880s in Nordic Painting, the National Gallery of Denmark; Nordiske stemninger (Nordic Atmospheres), London, et al. 1986-87; Tradition – Modernity, Aarhus Art Museum 1992; Portraits of a Marriage, Gl. Holtegaard 1997 and the Art Museums of Skagen 1998; Masterpieces – Krøyer Made to Measure, the Art Museums of Skagen 2019. L’heure Bleue de Peder Severin Krøyer, Musée Marmottan Monet, Paris 2021.
P.S. Krøyer’s Most Prestigious Nominations and Awards
1873 – gold medal and travel grant from the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts;
1882 – the Thorvaldsen Medal;
1884 – gold medal at the International and Universal Exhibition, Crystal Palace, London;
1889 – Grand Prix at Exposition Universelle (1889), Paris;
1893 – World’s Columbian Exposition, Chicago;
1900 – Grand Prix and Medaille d’or at Exposition Universelle (1900), Paris. P.S. Krøyer was also awarded La Legion d’Honneur.
Works for Sale at Bruun Rasmussen
At Bruun Rasmussen, we have works for sale that arouse interest and are relevant to buyers and collectors. Here, you can keep an eye on the works by P.S. Krøyer that you can bid on right now.
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