Maria Röhl (Attributed)

About the Portrait

This oil on canvas portrait of a gentleman, circa 1830, is attributed to Swedish court painter Maria Röhl (1801-1875). The work depicts a distinguished gentleman in formal attire, rendered with the refined technique characteristic of early 19th-century Swedish portraiture. A handwritten provenance note on the reverse attributes the work to Maria Röhl, providing important historical documentation.

The portrait is set in its authentic 19th-century gilded wooden frame with hand-carved floral and scrollwork motifs, typical of the Romantic era. The composition demonstrates the restrained elegance and careful attention to facial features that characterized Swedish academic portraiture during this period, when artists trained in the neoclassical tradition were adapting their techniques to the emerging Romantic sensibility.

The attribution to Maria Röhl places this work within the context of Swedish court painting during the reign of King Charles XIV John and the early years of Oscar I, a period when portraiture served both as personal commemoration and as documentation of Sweden's social and political elite.

About the Artist

Maria Röhl (1801-1875) was a distinguished Swedish portrait artist and court painter to the Swedish royal family, becoming one of Sweden's most celebrated female artists of the 19th century. Born in Stockholm, she demonstrated exceptional artistic talent from an early age and pursued professional training at a time when such opportunities for women were limited.

Röhl studied under neoclassical master Léon Cogniet in Paris, where she absorbed the refined techniques and compositional principles of French academic painting. This training proved invaluable when she returned to Sweden and established herself as a sought-after portraitist among the aristocracy, intellectuals, and cultural figures of Stockholm.

Throughout her career, Röhl created hundreds of portraits of aristocrats, writers, and intellectuals, documenting Swedish society during a period of significant cultural and political change. Her appointment as court painter represented a remarkable achievement for a female artist in 19th-century Europe, reflecting both her exceptional skill and the relatively progressive attitudes toward women artists in Sweden compared to other European countries.

Works by Maria Röhl are featured in the Swedish Nationalmuseum and major collections worldwide. Her portraits are valued for their psychological insight, technical refinement, and their importance as historical documents of Swedish cultural life during the Romantic era. As interest in women artists of the 19th century continues to grow, Röhl's contributions to Swedish art history are receiving increased recognition.

Technical Details

Attribution: Attributed to Maria Röhl (1801-1875)
Signed: Unsigned
Date: c.1830
Medium: Oil on canvas
Condition: Very good condition
Dimensions: 32.5 x 27 cm / 12¾ x 10½ in
Frame: 44 x 39.5 cm / 17¼ x 15½ in, 19th-century gilded wood with carved motifs, very good condition
Provenance: Handwritten note on verso attributing work to Maria Röhl
Origin: Sweden

An attributed example of Swedish Romantic-era portraiture by a female court painter.