Albert Edelfelt
CHARLES GOUNOD.
Sign. Watercolour 29,5x22,5 cm.
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Charles Gounod (1818-1893)
The magazine Le Monde Illustré commissioned a drawing of Charles Gounod by
Albert Edelfelt on the 2nd of February 1881. The drawing was published on
the 9th of April the same year, as a wood cut by Charles Baude.
Gounod had studied at the Conservatory in Paris under Halevy and Lesueur,
and he had been awarded the prestigious Prix de Rome. He had specialized in
Church Music and directed numerous church choirs and composed operas like
the Sapho for the primadonna Pauline Viardot. Edelfelt came in contact with
Gounod through his son Jean Gounod, who studied art.
Pictured in Berta Edelfelt, Ur Albert Edelfelts brev: Resor och intryck,
Helsingfors 1921, s. 40.
Designer
Albert Edelfelt is considered one of Finland's greatest artists of the 19th century. After studying in Antwerp and Paris, he settled in France, where he received several exhibition medals and was honored with the Legion of Honour, notably for the famous portrait of Pasteur. He was also summoned by Alexander III to St. Petersburg to portray the Tsar's children. Edelfelt often returned to themes from Finnish history, such as his illustrations for 'The Tales of Ensign Stål.'
Edelfelt's works display an artistic breadth that ranges from everyday life in the Finnish archipelago to prestigious society portraits and historical paintings. In his depictions of everyday life, he managed to merge traditional academic painting with the new techniques of plein air painting, which achieved great success in France. The painting 'The Funeral of a Child' was awarded a third-class medal at the annual Salon in Paris in 1880, marking the most significant international success for Finnish painting at the time.
Albert Edelfelt is primarily represented in Ateneum in Helsinki, but also in the National Museum in Stockholm, as well as museums in Copenhagen, Luxembourg, and Paris.
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