Queen Christina in Palazzo Corsini 1908
kristianzahrtmann1
statensmuseumforkunst
canvas
gouache
character portrait
painted
possibly oil pastel
oil painting
canvas
underpainting
painting painterly
portrait character photography
watercolor
celebrity portrait
Kristian Zahrtmann's 1908 oil painting, "Queen Christina in Palazzo Corsini," depicts a dramatic scene featuring the Swedish queen Christina. The central figure of the painting is Queen Christina, who is depicted in a luxurious blue dress and pearl necklace, holding a pipe. The work captures a moment of intrigue and mystery, showcasing the queen surrounded by a group of figures. Zahrtmann's masterful use of light and shadow creates a sense of depth and realism, highlighting the ornate details of the room and the costumes. "Queen Christina in Palazzo Corsini," now housed in the Statens Museum for Kunst, remains a captivating example of historical portraiture.
Comments
This intimate historical painting shows the abdicated Swedish Queen Christina lifting up her dress to heat her behind by the fire. Zahrtmann may have become interested in Christina through his work on the Danish queen Leonora Christina, but he was also fascinated by the myth concerning her ambiguous gender identity. The ambiguity is accentuated here by the phallic pipe and by her inhabiting a traditionally masculine sphere: The spiritual, intellectual sphere, as symbolised by the book and statue. Zahrtmann was a controversial figure who taught many of the painters of the modern breakthrough. His radical choices of colour and motif stood out amongst the concepts of beauty prevalent in his time. Many figures in his work transcend the gender ideals of his time, but in real life he did not think women could be artists.
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