Karl Johan Holter - Young Man with Beret, 1896
Prix régulier 35 781 krKarl Johan Holter (Norway, 1870–1960)
Young Man with Beret, 1896
pencil, chalk and white heightening on paper, paper mounted on board
approx. 58 × 39 cm (unframed) / 22.8 × 15.4 in
signed and dated lower left: K.J. Holter 96
Essay:
This evocative portrait by Norwegian artist Karl Johan Holter captures a young man with a calm and introspective gaze, dressed in a high-collared shirt, dark suit, and wide beret. Executed in chalk with white heightening, the drawing exemplifies Holter’s sensitivity to light, volume, and character, rendered with remarkable subtlety. The young sitter, softly lit and surrounded by a minimal background, seems suspended in thought, the restrained palette and refined modelling lending the work a dreamlike stillness.
Drawn in 1896, the piece belongs to Holter’s early artistic period when he was exploring symbolist and romantic idioms. Holter, educated briefly at the Royal Drawing School in Kristiania (now Oslo), worked primarily in Norway and gained early recognition for his expressive portraits and moody landscapes. Around this time, he also participated in significant exhibitions, including the 1897 Stockholm Exhibition, where his painting Voluptas was shown to acclaim.
The sitter’s youthful features and the confident but introspective presence suggest that this may be a self-portrait of the artist at age 26. While unconfirmed, such a reading adds depth to the work, making it not just a study of appearance, but a reflection of the artist’s own state of mind during a formative period.
Provenance:
A Swedish private collection
Condition Report:
Very good condition overall. The sheet is stable, and the medium retains strong tonal clarity.
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