# Sellén — The Red Room character guide

> Sellén in The Red Room by August Strindberg.

**Role:** supporting

**Also known as:** Mr. Sellén

**First appearance:** 0002-iii-the-artists-colony

## Snapshot

A landscape painter with a flippant tongue, forever preparing a second success while deflecting every sincere remark with a joke.

## Who they are

Sellén moves through the artists' colony with the easy cynicism of a man who has learned to distrust his own enthusiasm, mocking sentiment even as he notices the first snow's solemnity. His wit is a shield: he clings to flippancy in the infirmary, in the graveyard dark, wherever feeling threatens to become real. He matters because he shows how the bohemian circle survives — by irony — and how much that survival costs.

## Relationships

### [Arvid Falk](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_red_room_se/characters/arvid_falk)

_friendship_

Sellén is a painter friend and part of Arvid's bohemian circle, sharing artistic struggles and camaraderie.

### [Olle Montanus](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_red_room_se/characters/olle_montanus)

_friendship_

Olle Montanus and Sellén are close artist friends who frequently interact within the bohemian group, supporting each other's work.

### [Lundell](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_red_room_se/characters/lundell)

_friendship_

Lundell and Sellén are fellow artists and frequent companions within the bohemian circle, sharing a bond over their craft.

### [Lundell](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_red_room_se/characters/lundell)

_friendship_

Lundell and Sellén are fellow artists and frequent companions within the bohemian circle, sharing a bond over their craft.

### [Olle Montanus](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_red_room_se/characters/olle_montanus)

_friendship_

Olle Montanus and Sellén are close artist friends who frequently interact within the bohemian group, supporting each other's work.

### [Arvid Falk](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_red_room_se/characters/arvid_falk)

_friendship_

Sellén is a painter friend and part of Arvid's bohemian circle, sharing artistic struggles and camaraderie.

### [Arvid Falk](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_red_room_se/characters/arvid_falk)

_friendship_

Sellén is a painter friend and part of Arvid's bohemian circle, sharing artistic struggles and camaraderie.

### [Olle Montanus](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_red_room_se/characters/olle_montanus)

_friendship_

Olle Montanus and Sellén are close artist friends who frequently interact within the bohemian group, supporting each other's work.

### [Lundell](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_red_room_se/characters/lundell)

_friendship_

Lundell and Sellén are fellow artists and frequent companions within the bohemian circle, sharing a bond over their craft.

## In the story

### [III: The Artists’ Colony](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_red_room_se/chapters/iii-the-artists-colony)

A painter at the colony who has broken with the Academy; he introduces Falk to the other colonists and defends artistic integrity.

### [VI: The Red Room](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_red_room_se/chapters/vi-the-red-room)

Working on his painting for the exhibition, lacks paint and money, orchestrates pawning Rehnhjelm's belongings and Falk's watch.

### [X: The Newspaper Syndicate “Grey Bonnet”](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_red_room_se/chapters/x-the-newspaper-syndicate-grey-bonnet)

His painting is praised by the Incorruptible and bought by the King, causing a crisis at the Grey Bonnet.

### [XI: Happy People](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_red_room_se/chapters/xi-happy-people)

Arrives in a velvet jacket and patent-leather boots, having sold a painting and gained recognition; dismisses the praise but is celebrated by the group.

### [Hard Times](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_red_room_se/chapters/xxii-hard-times)

Struggling artist living in a cold, broken studio after his patron's death; reluctantly witnesses Falk's promissory note.

### [XXIV: On Sweden](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_red_room_se/chapters/xxiv-on-sweden)

Accompanies Arvid after the dinner, discusses Arvid's relationship with Beda, later found reading Faust to Beda in a café.

### [XXVII: Recovery](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_red_room_se/chapters/xxvii-recovery)

Present at the Red Room, preparing his second success.

### [XXVIII: From Beyond the Grave](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_red_room_se/chapters/xxviii-from-beyond-the-grave)

Walks with Falk to the infirmary, identifies Olle's coat, and makes flippant remarks to mask his discomfort.

### [XXIX: Revue](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_red_room_se/chapters/xxix-revue)

Recipient of the letter, a landscape painter in Paris.

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_red_room_se/characters/sellen
- Book: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_red_room_se
- All characters: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_red_room_se/characters