Albert Gustaf Aristides Edelfelt was a Finnish painter. He was born on July 21, 1854, in Porvoo, Finland and he was the son of Carl Albert Edelfelt, an architect, and Alexandra Edelfelt (née Brandt). His parents were Swedish-speaking Finns. He began his formal studies of art in 1869 at the Drawing School of the Finnish Art Society, and continued as a student of Adolf von Becker (1871-1873). He studied history painting at the Antwerp Academy of Art (1873-1874) before becoming a pupil of Jean-Léon Gérôme at the Ecole Nationale des Beaux Arts in Paris (1874-1878). In Paris he shared a studio with the American, Julian Alden Weir, who introduced him to British painter, John Singer Sargent. Later he studied at Saint Petersburg (1881-1882) and married Baroness Ellan de la Chapelle.
Edelfelt was one of the first Finnish artists to achieve international fame. He enjoyed great success in Paris and was one of the founders of the Realist art movement in Finland. He influenced several younger Finnish painters and helped fellow Finnish artists. His painting of Louis Pasteur won him the Legion of Honor in 1886 at the exhibition at the Paris Salon.
Edelfelt admired the poet Johan Ludvig Runeberg, who was a friend of the family. The company of Runeberg had a lasting impact on Edelfelt, who from time to time turned to scenes from Finnish history in his paintings. Edelfelt went on to illustrate Runeberg's epic poem, The Tales of Ensign Stål. Albert Edelfelt died on August 18, 1905.
Edelfelt was selected as the main motif in a Finnish commemorative coin celebrating the 150th anniversary of his birth. The coin was minted in 2004. The reverse side of the coin shows an embossed face of the artist.
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Doting Bianca
Virgin Mary in the Rose Garden
Pressing
Christ and Mary Magdalene
Woman and Parasol
Boys Playing at the Shore
Self-Portrait