Niclas Lafrensen

Niklas Lafrensen was a Swedish genre and miniature painter. Active in Paris and Stockholm, Lafrensen is considered one of the chief European miniaturist of the second half of the 18th century.
Niklas Lafrensen was the son of painter Niklas Lafrensen the Elder and Magdalena Stuur. His father was a skilled miniature portrait painter, popular at the Swedish court. Lafrensen received his earliest training from him. His father thought him miniature painting as well as the gouache technique. Lafrensen the younger was in Paris from 1762 to 1769. In 1773 he became a member of the Painter and Sculptor Academy. In Paris, he came under the influence of the French Rococo, which suited his temperament. He chose to represent realistic topics in painting, as opposed to subjects relating to the antique world. This granted him popularity among the public. By contrast, he wasn't a favorite of the intellectuals and pedagogues. Upon his return to Stockholm, he was appointed Royal Court Miniature Painter, and was commissioned a dozen miniature portraits by Prince Gustav. Lafrensen was accepted in the Royal Swedish Academy of Fine Arts, but later passed over.