Albert Edelfelt

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Self portrait (ca. 1887-90).

Albert Gustaf Aristides Edelfelt (21 July 1854 - 18 August 1905) was a Finnish painter.

Albert Edelfelt was born in Porvoo, Finland. His father Carl Albert was an architect. Edelfelt admired the poet laureate Johan Ludvig Runeberg who was a friend to 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. He studied art in Antwerp (1873 - 1874), Paris (1874 - 1878) and St. Petersburg (1881 - 1882).

He married baroness (vapaaherratar) Ellan de la Chapelle in 1888 with whom he had one child.

Edelfelt was one of the first Finnish artists to achieve international fame. He enjoyed considerable 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 such as Akseli Gallen-Kallela to make their brakethrough in Paris.