Updated November 2026 · ranked by our popularity score (searches, visits and orders for each work) · 6 works by Sofie Ribbing in our catalogue
Quick answer
The most famous Sofie Ribbing painting is Studiehode (1860); the original is in the National Museum of Art, Architecture and Design, Oslo. Self-portrait (1865) and Painting (1894) are numbers two and three. Out of the 6 works by Sofie Ribbing in our catalogue, these are the 6 most famous, ranked, each with its year and museum, so you can choose the painting to order.
The 4 museums that hold the most of the paintings on this page.
| Museum | City | Works by Sofie Ribbing | Paintings from this list |
|---|---|---|---|
 National Museum of Art, Architecture and Design |
Oslo | 3 | Studiehode, Painting, Italiensk pike |
 Vasari Corridor |
Florence | 1 | Self-portrait |
 National Portrait Gallery of Sweden |
Strängnäs | 1 | Helena Roed (1843-1926), dansk, verksam i Sverige, författare, kulturskribent, g.m. professorn i estetik Carl Rupert Nyblom |
 Gothenburg Museum of Art |
Gothenburg | 1 | Boys drawing |
35 years of Sofie Ribbing paintings, 1860 to 1894: browse the timeline year by year and pick the period you want on your wall.
Select a year to see its paintings.
Studiehode (1860), National Museum of Art, Architecture and Design, Oslo, ranks first, followed by Self-portrait (1865) and Painting (1894).
Sofie Ribbing was 25: Studiehode is dated 1860, and Sofie Ribbing was born in 1835.
6 works by Sofie Ribbing are in our catalogue, dated 1860 to 1894.
Mainly in National Museum of Art, Architecture and Design (Oslo), Vasari Corridor (Florence) and National Portrait Gallery of Sweden (Strängnäs). See the museum table above for the full list.
Earliest on this page: Studiehode (1860). Latest: Painting (1894).
The National Museum of Art, Architecture and Design, Oslo holds 3 of the paintings ranked here, including Studiehode, Painting and Italiensk pike.
Yes. Every painting on this page can be ordered as a hand-painted oil reproduction or a print. Open the painting, choose the size and place your order.
The Södraholm estate in Adelöv parish holds the beginning of Sofie Amalia Ribbing’s story. Born in 1835 to Swedish nobility, her early years are framed by the Bråneryd estate near Jönköping. Her father, Per Arvid Ribbing, manages the local district court, while her mother, Karolina Augusta Ehrencrona, brings a lineage of high standing. This aristocratic upbringing provides more than just status; it offers an early immersion in fine painting collections that shape her developing eye.
The trajectory shifts in 1850. The Royal Swedish Academy of Fine Arts in Stockholm becomes her first formal training ground. But the borders of Sweden are too small for her ambitions. She moves toward the Düsseldorf Academy, seeking the guidance of Karl Ferdinand Sohn. This transition marks a departure from local tradition toward the influential Düsseldorf School style. Her education expands through the streets of Paris, where she works under Jean-BT-Ange Tissier, and into Brussels, studying under Louis Gallait.
Her brush finds its strength in the intimate and the domestic. She specializes in portraits and genre scenes, often capturing families within their private settings. In 1864, a specific moment of creation emerges: Ritande Gossar, or Boys Drawing. The work gains immediate recognition, eventually being acquired by the Gothenburg Art Association for a record sum. This painting later earns a place in the Europeana 280 project, representing Swedish art to a broader European audience.
Her technical development follows a path of geographic expansion. As she moves through Copenhagen, London, and Rome, her subject matter adapts to the light and people she encounters. Her portfolio includes:
The map of her life is a series of studio visits and exhibitions. She establishes herself in the Brussels Salon in 1866 and participates in the Industrial Exposition of Stockholm that same year. Her presence is felt in London’s Royal Academy during the 1870s, and she displays works in Copenhagen and Amsterdam. These are not merely travels; they are professional engagements that place her work in the hands of major institutions.
Her final chapters unfold far from her Swedish birthplace. She spends time in Rome, sharing the company of fellow artists like Agnes Börjesson. The end comes in 1894 in Christiania, now Oslo, while she is visiting Norway. Her legacy remains anchored in the permanent collections of the Uffizi Gallery, the National Gallery of Norway, and the Nationalmuseum in Stockholm.
