Portrait of Marie Krohg, the Artist's Aunt

Christian Krohg's portrait of Marie Krohg (1889), his aunt, is a characteristic example of his intimate approach to portraiture within his extended family circle. While Krohg's most celebrated works engaged with social conditions — his novel and paintings on prostitution, his scenes of laboring life — his family portraits reveal a tenderness and psychological penetration that balances the more confrontational social work. Marie Krohg is presented with the quiet dignity Krohg brought to portraits of older women, with none of the social dramatization that marks his public-facing canvases. It is a private work, and all the more revealing for it.

The portrait is built around a strong tonal contrast between the figure and the dark background. Krohg's brushwork is assured in the face, attending carefully to the aging skin and the particular quality of the sitter's gaze. The palette is warm, with muted earth tones dominating.