Lucy Vidil was working as an artist’s model at the renowned Académie Matisse in Paris when, at the age of nineteen, she met the young Norwegian art student Per Krohg. The two soon settled together in a modest studio in Montparnasse, at the heart of Paris’s vibrant artistic community. In the early decades of the twentieth century, the neighbourhood attracted artists from across the world, including figures such as Picasso, Modigliani and Braque, who would eventually become part of the couple’s close circle.

Lucy became much more than Krohg’s regular model. She was his first great love, his dancing partner and, eventually, his wife. In this painting, Krohg captures her in a private, everyday moment, lying in bed. The intimate subject offers a glimpse of the close bond between the artist and his model, both in life and in art.

Literature: Wenche Lie Giæver, Lucy og Per Krohg, Kolofon Forlag AS, 2022.