The morning after, self-portrait

This self-portrait by Christian Krohg (1852-1925) is a witty little gem of a painting. The self-portrait shows the artist struggling with the repercussions of one of the many parties in the young artists' colony in Skagen. When the artists got together champagne flowed freely, and no one worried about the hangovers next day. The artist's face is almost green as he is rubbing his temples gingerly and rolling his eyes. Viewers may be reminded of another Norwegian painter, Edvard Munch (1863-1944), and his famous painting, The Scream from 1893. In this painting, Krohg seems to anticipate Munch's expressive brushstrokes, and there is a striking similarity between the two works. The artists had shared a workshop in Oslo in 1882, where Krohg had acted as a mentor for Munch.