Artwork
Professor i zoologi, Japetus Steenstrup holder foredrag
Professor i zoologi, Japetus Steenstrup holder foredrag is an oil painting by the Impressionist artist Peder Severin Krøyer. It dates from 1898 and is held in the collection of the Statens Museum for Kunst.
About this work
Overview
Peder Severin Krøyer’s 1898 oil painting portrays the Danish zoologist Japetus Steen Strup delivering a lecture. The work, catalogued as “Professor i zoologi, Japetus Steenstrup holder foredrag,” is part of the collection of the Statens Museum for Kunst in Copenhagen.
Subject & Meaning
The central figure, an elderly man in a dark suit and bow tie, holds a walking stick while addressing an audience. Two listeners, one fully visible and another partially obscured, lean forward, underscoring the scholarly atmosphere and the intellectual engagement of the scene.
Technique & Style
Krøyer employs loose, warm brushwork that softens the contours of the professor’s face and spectacles. A gentle illumination falls across his features, creating a subtle chiaroscuro that accentuates depth while the surrounding figures recede into a more muted background.
History & Provenance
Executed toward the end of Krøyer’s career, the portrait reflects his interest in contemporary academic life. Since its creation, the painting has remained in Denmark, entering the holdings of the Statens Museum for Kunst, where it is displayed as part of the museum’s representation of 19th‑century Danish portraiture.
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