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The 2 Most Famous Clara Mørch Paintings, a Gallery Selection
Updated October 2026 · ranked by our popularity score (searches, visits and orders for each work) · 2 works by Clara Mørch in our catalogue
In short
Of all the originals Clara Mørch left, the most famous is Portrait of Christian Semb Grimsgaard (1880), in the collection of the Oslo Museum, Oslo. Our catalog holds 2 works by Clara Mørch; the gallery has kept the 2 the world admires most, each shown with its date, its museum and its story.
1851 – 1935, Christiania
Most works: Oslo Museum
Clara Mørch's top 10 paintings: the gallery's choice
The museums that keep Clara Mørch's originals
The museum that holds the most of the paintings on this page.
| Museum | City | Works by Clara Mørch | Paintings from this list |
|---|---|---|---|
 Oslo Museum |
Oslo | 2 | Portrait of Christian Semb Grimsgaard, Portrait of Edvard Mørch |
Clara Mørch year by year: the originals that define each
From 1880 to 1906, Clara Mørch worked for 27 years: the selection follows that long career year by year, through its finest originals.
Works per year
Pick a year to see its originals.
Collectors' questions about Clara Mørch's paintings
Which work is Clara Mørch most famous for?Reveal the answer
Portrait of Christian Semb Grimsgaard (1880).
What age was Clara Mørch when Portrait of Christian Semb Grimsgaard was made?Reveal the answer
29 years old: Portrait of Christian Semb Grimsgaard dates from 1880, and Clara Mørch was born in 1851.
How many paintings did Clara Mørch leave?Reveal the answer
Our catalog holds 2 works by Clara Mørch, dated from 1880 to 1906.
In which museums do Clara Mørch's masterpieces hang?Reveal the answer
Mostly in Oslo Museum (Oslo). The museum table above lists them all.
What are the first and the last famous originals of Clara Mørch?Reveal the answer
On this page, the earliest is Portrait of Christian Semb Grimsgaard (1880) and the latest Portrait of Edvard Mørch (1906).
Which Clara Mørch works hang at the Oslo Museum?Reveal the answer
Portrait of Christian Semb Grimsgaard and Portrait of Edvard Mørch: the Oslo Museum, Oslo holds 2 of the works on this page.
Clara Mørch: life and work
A Life in Portraiture and Landscape
Clara Mørch was a Norwegian painter who received her early artistic guidance from Morten Müller. Her formal education was shaped by significant periods of study, including eight months in Paris as a student of Paul Flandrin and Charles Chaplin between 1874 and 1875. Following this, she studied under Knud Bergslien in Christiania. While her training encompassed both figure painting and landscape painting, she distinguished herself primarily as a portrait painter. Her works from the 1870s and 1880s were characterized by a highly detailed, realistic quality, often commissioned by wealthy families in Christiania and the eastern regions of Norway.
Throughout her career, Mørch exhibited her work at the Christiania Kunstforening on several occasions, including in 1879, 1883, and 1893. She also contributed paintings to art association lotteries in Stavanger, Drammen, and Bergen. In 1887 and 1888, she participated in the Høstutstillingen with two landscape paintings. Her artistic reach extended to significant commissions, such as a portrait of her father, Generalmajor Christian Semb Grimsgaard, which is held in the Oslo Militære Samfund.
Artistic Legacy and Teaching
Beyond her own studio practice, Mørch was involved in the instruction of others. In the 1880s, she provided drawing and painting lessons in Fredrikshald, where her students included the later author Dikken Zwilgmeyer. Her life was also marked by her marriage to the magistrate Edvard Johan Mørch in 1897. Following the death of her husband, she moved to Mogens Thorsens og Hustrus Stiftelse, a residence for women of higher social standing who lacked the financial means to support themselves.
Her notable works include: