Peder Severin Krøyer
Danish·1851–1909
Impressionist painter P. S. Krøyer (1851-1909) became the leading figure of the Skagen Painters, a colony of Scandinavian artists who gathered at Denmark's northern tip. Born in Norway but raised in Copenhagen by foster parents, he developed a light-filled style that captured the unique atmosphere of Skagen's beaches and summer nights. His paintings of the "blue hour" twilight became iconic images of Nordic summer. Works like "Summer Evening on Skagen's Southern Beach" (1893) show his mastery of open-air painting and subtle light effects.
Krøyer enrolled at Copenhagen's Royal Academy at age 14, winning a gold medal and scholarship in 1873. He spent 1877-1881 in Paris studying under Léon Bonnat, where he absorbed Impressionist techniques from Monet, Renoir, and Manet. Returning to Scandinavia, he became central to the Skagen colony, painting fellow artists and local fishermen in the brilliant seaside light. He married painter Marie Krøyer in 1889; they divorced in 1905. His eyesight gradually failed during his last decade, but he continued painting nearly blind, producing masterpieces until the end. France inducted him into the Legion of Honor in 1888. Today, the Skagens Museum holds the largest collection, with additional works at the Danish National Gallery and the Musée d'Orsay.
Notable Works by Peder Severin Krøyer
4 paintings catalogued with museum locations
Museums with Peder Severin Krøyer's Work
3 museums display Krøyer's works. Click any museum to see visiting info and the specific works they hold.
Related Artists
Other Impressionism artists you might like
About Peder Severin Krøyer
Krøyer was a Danish Impressionist and unofficial leader of the Skagen Painters, artists who gathered each summer in the northern Danish fishing village. He studied under Léon Bonnat in Paris and absorbed techniques from Monet, Renoir, and Manet before adapting them to Scandinavian subjects.
"Summer Evening on Skagen's Southern Beach" (1893) and his "blue hour" paintings capturing twilight on the shore are his most beloved works. These beach scenes showing his wife Marie and fellow artist Anna Ancher became icons of Danish art.
The Skagens Museum in Denmark holds the largest collection of his work alongside other Skagen painters. The Hirschsprung Collection in Copenhagen, whose founder supported Krøyer from early in his career, also displays major pieces.
He studied in Paris under Léon Bonnat and absorbed Impressionist techniques from Monet, Degas, and Renoir. His mastery of light effects, especially during twilight, combined French influence with distinctly Nordic atmospheric conditions.
Yes, his eyesight gradually failed during his last decade, but he continued painting almost to the end in 1909. He also suffered bouts of mental illness requiring hospitalization, yet produced some of his finest work while battling these challenges.
Love Peder Severin Krøyer's Style?
Explore art inspired by Impressionism.
Browse Collection