The blue hour, from the French l’heure bleue, is the period of twilight before sunrise and after sunset when the sun dips below the horizon far enough for the sun’s blue wavelengths to diffuse across the sky. It is perceived best during summer months from the Nordic countries, where twilight lasts longer due to the earth’s position relative to the sun. The phenomenon is especially evident in the fishing village of Skagen, situated at the northernmost tip of Denmark’s Jutland peninsula. There the sun dips only 18 degrees below the horizon, lengthening the dawn and dusk hours in which the air takes on poetic shades of blue.

The Blue Hour of Peder Severin Krøyer accompanies an exhibition presented jointly by the Musée Marmottan Monet in Paris and the Skagens Museum in Denmark. Sponsored by Denmark’s Ministry of Culture and Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Danish Embassy in Paris, the...

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