Anna Nordgren was born in Mariestad, Sweden, and trained at the Royal Swedish Academy of Fine Arts before moving to Paris to study at the Académie Julian, one of the few institutions open to women, though they paid higher fees than men. In Paris she exhibited at the Salon and was part of a generation of Scandinavian women who sought greater opportunities abroad. Her 1876 portrait of a Black sitter reflects the presence of African models in the Parisian art world, where they were rarely named but played a crucial role in shifting depictions away from ethnographic studies toward more humanised representation. In the 1880s Nordgren moved to the United Kingdom, exhibiting with the Royal Academy and the New English Art Club. Best known for her portraits and genre scenes, she combined technical skill with sensitivity to expression, though like many women artists of her time she was later forgotten despite success in her lifetime.