Aleksander Lauréus
Aleksander Lauréus, also Alexander Lauraeus, (4 January 1783 – 21 October 1823) was a Finnish painter.
Family
Lauréus was born in Turku to Lovisa Ulrika and Alexander Laureus, a Doctor of Theology, and was named after his paternal grandfather. Lauréus had at least 14 siblings, of which he was the second-born. His mother died in childbirth in 1794 after the seventh child was born. His father remarried to Maria Juliana Vinqvistin.
Early life
Lauréus was 11 years old when he started school in Turku Cathedral School and graduated from high school in 1800. At that time he was interested
Director at the time was Lorens Pasch the Younger, and was taught by among others, Johan Tobias Sergel, Louis Masreliez, Carl Frederik von Breda and Pehr Hilleström. In the period 1804-1805 he studied at the upper primary level. He collected a 50 krone Drawing Prize, which allowed him travel home to Turku, and perhaps also to Åland.
Career
Lauréus painted his father and stepmother's portraits. He left Finland when it was annexed from Russia in 1809 and it became the
Works
Few paintings from his Paris trip survived, but the Roman period works are more abundant. Lauréus' paintings were exhibited as a special collection in Italy, Milan and Rome in 1937. His works can be found in many notable museums, including the
References
- Alexander Laureus 1783–1823, a 200-year memorial exhibition, the Finnish Academy of Fine Arts, Sinebrychoff Art Museum, exhibition catalog, Helsinki 1983