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Niklas Lafrensen (30 October 1737 - 6 December 1807) was a Swedish
Svenskt biografiskt handlexikon
* Carl G. Laurin, Art History, Stockholm 1919 * Carlquist, Gunnar, ed (1933). Swedish dictionary. Bd 16. Malmo Swedish Uppslagsbok AB. pg. 688-689 18th-century Swedish painters 18th-century Swedish male artists Swedish male painters 19th-century Swedish painters 1737 births 1807 deaths Artists from Stockholm 19th-century Swedish male artists {{Sweden-artist-stub
Niklas Lafrensen (30 October 1737 - 6 December 1807) was a Swedish genre
Genre () is any style or form of communication in any mode (written, spoken, digital, artistic, etc.) with socially agreed-upon conventions developed over time. In popular usage, it normally describes a category of literature, music, or other fo ...
and miniature painter. Active in Paris and Stockholm, Lafrensen is considered one of the chief European miniaturist of the second half of the 18th century.
Niklas Lafrensen (known in French as Nicolas Lavreince) was the son of painter Niklas Lafrensen the Elder and Magdalena Stuur. His father was a skilled miniature portrait painter, popular at the Swedish court. Lafrensen received his earliest training from him. His father thought him miniature painting as well as the gouache technique. Lafrensen the younger was in Paris from 1762 to 1769. In 1773 he became a member of the Painter and Sculptor Academy. In Paris, he came under the influence of the French Rococo, which suited his temperament. He chose to represent realistic topics in painting, as opposed to subjects relating to the antique world. This granted him popularity among the public. By contrast, he wasn't a favorite of the intellectuals and pedagogues. Upon his return to Stockholm
Stockholm (; ) is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in Sweden by population, most populous city of Sweden, as well as the List of urban areas in the Nordic countries, largest urban area in the Nordic countries. Approximately ...
, he was appointed Royal Court Miniature Painter, and was commissioned a dozen miniature portraits by Prince Gustav. Lafrensen was accepted in the Royal Swedish Academy of Fine Arts
The Royal Swedish Academy of Fine Arts (), commonly called the Royal Academy, is located in Stockholm, Sweden. An independent organization that promotes the development of painting, sculpture, architecture, and other fine arts, it is one of seve ...
, but later passed over.
He is said to have become exasperated that he had been passed over by his professors, and that was the reason he left Sweden in 1774 and re-settled in Paris, where for 17 years worked as an artist under the name Lavreince. In 1791 Lafrensen was forced to leave France during the French Revolution, and came home to Sweden and painted a portrait of (now) King Gustav III shortly before his death. In the latter part of his life his artistic output was scarce.
Besides miniatures, Lafrensen painted mostly gouache
Gouache (; ), body color, or opaque watercolor is a water-medium paint consisting of natural pigment, water, a binding agent (usually gum arabic or dextrin), and sometimes additional inert material. Gouache is designed to be opaque. Gouach ...
. Lafrensen is represented in a number of Swedish and foreign museums, including a dozen of his works at The Louvre
The Louvre ( ), or the Louvre Museum ( ), is a national art museum in Paris, France, and one of the most famous museums in the world. It is located on the Rive Droite, Right Bank of the Seine in the city's 1st arrondissement of Paris, 1st arron ...
. The Nationalmuseum
Nationalmuseum is the List of national galleries, national gallery of fine arts of Sweden, located on the peninsula Blasieholmen in central Stockholm.
The museum's operations stretch far beyond the borders of Blasieholmen, including the Natio ...
owns about 50 of his miniatures and 13 gouaches, including ''Three Ladies Who Make Music'', ''Music Making Men and Women in Landscape'' and ''Card Gaming Ladies''.
References
External links
Svenskt biografiskt handlexikon
* Carl G. Laurin, Art History, Stockholm 1919 * Carlquist, Gunnar, ed (1933). Swedish dictionary. Bd 16. Malmo Swedish Uppslagsbok AB. pg. 688-689 18th-century Swedish painters 18th-century Swedish male artists Swedish male painters 19th-century Swedish painters 1737 births 1807 deaths Artists from Stockholm 19th-century Swedish male artists {{Sweden-artist-stub