This is the first solo exhibition of works by Albert Edelfelt in Paris and it introduces the Finnish artist to a French audience. The artist was a trailblazer who paved the way for later Finnish artists to gain a foothold in Paris. Edelfelt also played a major role in the World Fairs held in Paris in 1889 and 1900, both as an artist and a spokesperson.
Edelfelt’s first exhibition in Sweden took place in Gothenburg in 1884. He had several close contacts in the city, for instance the couple Pontus and Göthilda Fürstenberg, who were among his patrons. The Gothenburg Museum of Art’s collection includes several important works by Albert Edelfelt and the exhibition defines Sweden’s and Gothenburg’s place in the artist’s cosmopolitan geography.
The exhibition features works from the collections of the Finnish National Gallery/Ateneum Art Museum, and the collections of French and Nordic museums. Exhibits also include works from other public and private collections in Finland and abroad. A total of approximately 110 works will be on display. The works travelling to France for the exhibition include Queen Bianca (1877), Conveying the Child’s Coffin (A Child’s Funeral) (1879), Boys Playing on the Shore (1884), The Luxembourg Gardens, Paris (1887), and Women Outside the Church at Ruokolahti (1887).
The curators of the exhibition are Anne-Maria Pennonen and Hanne Selkokari for the Ateneum, and Anne-Charlotte Cathelineau for the Petit Palais and Eva Nygårds for the Gothenburg Art Museum.
The international collaboration has been partly funded by Jane and Aatos Erkko foundation.
Visit the website of the Petit Palais (in French)