Gunnar Börjeson

Pierre Louis Alexandre (1844–1905) was born in French Guyana and arrived in Stockholm in 1863, likely as a stowaway on an American cargo ship. He made a living as a dockworker and, during the winter months, as a model for the students at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts in Stockholm. There, he came into contact with the artist Gunnar Börjeson (1877–1945), one of many students who made studies of him.

Fate brought Pierre Louis Alexandre to the unexpected destination of Sweden, where he would become the most depicted Black model in European art before the 20th century. Orientalism was a significant artistic movement during the late 19th century. He was portrayed by the academy's students, and over 40 known works have been preserved, including those by artists Karin Bergöö, Anders Zorn, Oskar Björk, and Emil Österman. He is depicted in various costumes – often bare-chested, sometimes wearing a fez, and occasionally armed with a scimitar and turban as a guard in the sultan's harem. In the viewer's imagination, he was quickly associated with the African continent – a part of the world he likely never even visited.

The artist Gunnar Börjeson was born in Denmark, where he later settled and worked. He studied at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts in Stockholm from 1898 to 1903. The painting in question, The Harem Guard, was created during "Pettersson's" last sejour at the academy.

Photo: Pierre Louis Alexandre modelling at the Royal Swedish Art Academy