Under the Birches. Rediscovered Painting by Albert Edelfelt

Abstract

Albert Edelfelt (1854–1905) was one of the most prominent Finnish artists of the 19th century with international merits. His career was primarily linked to Paris, but he was also highly recognised in Russia and took commissions from the Imperial family. One of these com­missions was the large-scale painting Under the Birches, completed by Edelfelt in 1882. The painting was placed in one of the palaces in St Petersburg but was later moved to an unknown location in Poland. Its whereabouts remained undetermined until 2018, when it resurfaced in Łódź. This article is dedicated to the painting’s origin and provenance before it became part of the collection of the National Museum in Warsaw.