Gottfrid Virgin
Swedish, 1831 - 1876
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Arvid Julius Gottfrid Virgin, born June 9, 1831 in Visby city parish, died April 30, 1876 in Stockholm, was a Swedish painter and draughtsman. He painted portraits and genre scenes with common people in traditional costume, such as Dalkulla in the National Museum in Stockholm, as well as landscapes.
In 1852 Virgin became a student at the Academy of Fine Arts, where he studied from 1852 to 1859, was later tutored by Johan Christoffer Boklund, and was appointed agré at the Academy in 1862. Among Virgin's pupils was Eva Bonnier. During the years 1862-1863 he spent some time abroad, including in Paris and Düsseldorf, and with the Düsseldorf School of art his own showed the closest affinity. His genre pictures mainly depict idyllic scenes from everyday life: Sunday morning in Sorunda, a holiday in Rättvik, a wedding dress in Mockfjärd, etc. in a neat and variegated manner. Virgin participated several times in the Academy's exhibitions 1856-1875 and in the Nordic Industrial and Art Exhibition in Copenhagen in 1872. As a portrait painter, he painted several portraits of members of the royal family. As a conservator and restorer, he participated in work at Stockholm Palace in 1864-1865, where he restored two ceilings and created some new door lintels. His art consists of portraits, interiors, history paintings and depictions of popular life. Virgin is represented at the National Museum owns an oil painting from the collection of King Karl XV, Rättvikskulla (1861), and he is also represented at the Nordic Museum, the Hallwylska Museum and Uppsala University's portrait and painting collection.
Virgin was the son of the artillery captain Johan Fredric Wirgin, born February 12, 1788, died January 22, 1863, both in Gothenburg, with wife Sofia Lovisa Crusell, born September 30, 1800 in Gothenburg, died April 21, 1876 in Uppsala and from 1866 married to Anna Severina Carolina Olivia Gelertsen. Virgin was the cousin son of Christian Adolf Virgin. He married Anna Severina Carolina Olivia Gelertsen, born May 26, 1846, died September 16, 1884, both in Stockholm, on November 1, 1866.
