Famous natural realist painter Albert Edelfeld of Finland

Albert Edelfelt Albert Edelfeld, Finnish painter, (1854-1905)

Albert Gustaf Aristides Edelfelt (21 July 1854 – 18 August 1905) was a Finnish natural realist painter who is considered one of the most famous artists of the Golden Age of Finnish art. He is known for his naturalistic style and realistic artistic approach.

Born on 21 July 1854 in Povoå, Finland, Edelfeld was the son of a Swedish-speaking Finn, Carl Albert Edelfeld (1818–1869), an architect. His father died when he was still young, his mother had to raise him and his younger siblings alone, and coupled with financial difficulties, he had a close relationship with his mother throughout his life.

Edelfeld began his formal artistic studies in 1869 at the Painting School of the Finnish Art Association under Adolf von Becker (1871-1873). He studied history painting at the Antwerp Academy of Arts (1873-1974) and later became a student of Jean-León Golme of the National Academy of Fine Arts in École de École in Paris (1874-1878). In Paris, he shared a studio with the American painter Julian Alden Weir, who was introduced to John Singh Sargent. He later studied in St. Petersburg (1881-1882).

Edelfeld was one of the first Finnish artists to gain international fame. He had considerable success in Paris, including winning a gold medal at the 1889 Paris Universal Exposition. At the beginning of his career, he focused on history painting, and he also painted portraits of many celebrities, including Louis Pasteur, Aino Act, and the Russian royal family.

In Finland, he was one of the founders of the realist art movement. He influenced several young Finnish painters and helped other Finnish artists such as Axley Garen Carlera and Gunnar Berntesen to make breakthroughs in Paris. Among his students was Leon Baxter. In 1886, Louis Pasteur's painting won him the Legion of Honor Medal at an exhibition at the Paris Salon. On August 18, 1905, Edelfeld died of sudden heart failure at the age of 51.