Marie Krøyer in Paris

Michael Ancher's 'Marie Krøyer in Paris' (1889) depicts his closest colleague's new wife in the French capital — Peder Severin Krøyer and Marie Triepcke had married in the summer of 1889, and this painting documents the new couple's presence in Paris. The Skagen painters regularly visited Paris, and the combination of the Skagen colony's most brilliant new member with the artistic capital of Europe created a subject of particular significance. Ancher's portrait of Marie in Paris placed the Skagen world within the context of its French connections.

Ancher renders Marie Krøyer in the Parisian context with attention to the different quality of Paris versus the Skagen light he typically worked with — the urban, possibly interior setting creating different atmospheric conditions from his characteristic coastal and domestic subjects. His handling of the figure within the Parisian context reflects his ability to adapt his observational approach to different environments while maintaining his characteristic psychological directness.