Marie Krøyer (1867–1940) is known to many from the painting “Summer Evening on Skagen Sønderstrand” by her husband, the Skagen painter P.S. Krøyer. Here, she is depicted strolling by the water’s edge, arm in arm with Anna Ancher, with the moonlight shining on the sand. As an artist, Marie Krøyer lived in the shadow of her husband, but she was a talented artist in her own right. “Oh, I wish I had been born a man! They have it a thousand times better than us women. They are free to learn something, while we must beg for it,” wrote Marie Krøyer.
French Naturalism and P.S. Krøyer
Born at a time when women were not admitted into the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts, Marie Krøyer took different paths. In 1885, she helped establish Den lille Malerskole (the Little School for Painters) and the following year Atelierskolen (the Atelier School), which were precursors to the special model school for women, Kunstskolen (The Art School) under the Academy of Fine Arts. She went to Paris to study, where she was influenced by French Naturalism and reacquainted with P.S. Krøyer, with whom she had previously studied. Married in 1890, the most famous couple of the time settled in the artists’ colony in Skagen.
Significant Female Skagen Painter
As an artist and Skagen painter, Marie Krøyer was a true colourist and naturalist with sharp observational skills. In addition to painting, she had a good eye for design and interior design and drew her inspiration from the Arts & Crafts movement. Her most important works include “At the loom” from the 1890s and “Sunlit pergola from Ravello” from 1890 (both at The Art Museums of Skagen). Marie Krøyer has, in recent years, gained special recognition as a significant artist among the Skagen painters.