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While I was doing some research recently into various British and Irish painters, all of whom were practicing from about 1875 onwards up to around the 1930’s, I kept coming upon the name of someone that I really should have known about, given his importance during his lifetime and the influence he had on other painters. I might even go so far as to say, his influence on a whole movement.
This person was Jules Bastien-Lepage (1848 - 1884). Had he lived longer than his lamentably short 36 years, he would probably be much better known to us today.

I’m not going to post about Bastien-Lepage here and now, I’m leaving him for another time when I’ve read through some more material that’s only available in French. I just wanted to introduce him onto the stage because he is a central link to many of the artists of whom I have been so ignorant all these years.

So, remember his name! There’ll be a quiz later.

The person I really wanted to bring to your attention was strongly influenced by Bastien-Lepage. The two met at L’Ecole Nationale Des Beaux-Arts, Paris, in 1874, where Bastien-Lepage was in the studio of Jean Leon Gerome, Orientalist and NeoGreco Classicist.

Who was this person? See if you recognize his picture below.
(Ive hidden his name in the thumbnail picture, but click on it to reveal all.)

You have to admit, that’s a great moustache! It belonged to Albert Edelfelt (1854-1905), who was from Finland.

A brief bio: Edelfelt was born to a Swedish family who lived in what is now Finland. His mother came from a wealthy merchant family and his father was an architect who dropped dead when young Albert was 15.

His mother supported his precocious artistic talent, and Albert was able to go through Helsinki University and then on to Antwerp Academy of Art in 1873. Antwerp was a centre of historical style painting at the time, and as there was very little in the way of good art education to be had in Finland, and some pressure on Albert to learn to paint Finnish historical subjects, Antwerp was chosen for him.

After about six months, Albert upped sticks and moved to Paris, where the real art action was.
He was inspired by the museums and galleries as well as by his contemporaries, one of whom was Bastien-Lepage. Ironically, although Bastien-Lepage was a fierce advocate of plein-air painting, Edelfelt only produced one major classic plein-air painting while in France.

He returned to Finland for a while in 1875 resolving to get back to Paris as quickly as possible. In all, he lived and worked in Paris for fifteen years, with an annual visit home.

His first major prize winning painting was Queen Bianca, in 1877.

This study below is from 1874

Here’s his sister, Ellen, in 1876

One more with a dark background:

A Childs’s Funeral, 1879
Edelfelt had to paint this from another boat alongside.

Below: Boys playing in the water, 1884

The title of this one in Finnish is “Suru”. “Sorrow” is a fair translation.
It breaks my heart. The trees fall like rain.

The Laundresses

Sarkka

Virginie, 1883.
Rumoured to to be mother to 2 of Edelfelt’s children.

A couple of landscapes to round up with:
Sunset at Kaukola Ridge, 1890

The First Snow

I’ll post again on the subject of Edelfelt, but until then, I leave you with this weblink to the Finnish National Gallery page for Albert Edelfelt.