P. S. Krøyer was of Norwegian descent, but due to his mother's illness he was sent to Copenhagen in the care of his aunt Bertha Cecilie Krøyer (1851–1909) and her husband, the zoologist Henrik Nikolaj Krøyer (1799–1870). The portrait, carried out by Krøyer, at the age of 16 or 17 shows the sitter at a time in his life, when he losing his eyesight, disabled and confined to his home a few years before his death in 1870. As early as the age of nine P. S. Krøyer illustrated the scientific publication “Monografi over Snyltekrebsene” by H. N. Krøyer. The task demanded great accuracy and detail and the work was praised by scientists in the field. As a consequense P. S. Krøyer received training in drawing from the age of eleven first by F. F. Helsted (1809–1875) and at Det Tekniske Institut and from 1864 on the Academy of Fine Arts in Copenhagen. The early works of Krøyer are much like the present painting often caracterized by a great attention to detail and are a great contrast to his later work well known for the loose and virtuoso brushwork and the golden light of Skagen.

Literature: "Peder Severin Krøyer, by Peter Michael Hornung, 2002, Fogtdal.

Exhibited: Peder Severin Krøyer 1851–1909, Blaafarveværket 1992, no. 3 mentioned in the catalogue p. 72.

The present painting relates to thte portrait located in Statens Museum for Kunst, INVNO. KMS3101.