Description

Hans Thoma (1839 Bernau - 1924 Karlsruhe) Landscape on the Upper Rhine In the present painting from 1916, Thoma returned to a composition that he had already painted in 1903 as a "fantasy landscape" in an only slightly different version (see Henry Thode: "Thoma. Des Meisters Gemälde", 1909, ill. p. 375, there dated 1893). In a deep, spatial view, Thoma allows the viewer to see an Arcadian, ideal summer landscape of the Upper Rhine; the river, which meanders in soft curves into the background of the picture, is embedded in gentle hills, mountains and meadows, some of which are covered with trees and flowers. The intimate connection between man and nature is embodied by the small shepherd couple with their flock of sheep on a hill in the foreground. The harmony of the picture as a whole corresponds to the subtly nuanced, all-melting coloring in pastel shades of blue and green. Apart from the pair of shepherds, only a built-up river island, which can only be reached via a bridge, and the occasional, dimly recognizable piece of architecture hint at the existence of people. In this respect, this landscape is also an expression of Thomas' understanding of the sublimity of nature; it is intended to encourage the viewer to pause, to rediscover the magic of a pre-modern place of longing and to engage with it. Born in Bernau in the Black Forest as the son of a woodcutter, Thoma had to struggle for a long time for artistic recognition and material security. It was only by chance that his talent was recognized and Thoma was able to study with the landscape painter Johann Wilhelm Schirmer at the Grand Ducal School of Art in Karlsruhe on a scholarship from 1859 to 1866. In 1868 he traveled to Paris, where he was particularly impressed by the works of Gustave Courbet and the Barbizon School. However, the large-format landscapes inspired by these works, which Thoma exhibited at the Karlsruhe Kunstverein at the time, were still rejected by the conservative art public. Undeterred, he continued on his artistic path and found fellow artists, living first in Munich from 1870 to 1876 and then in Frankfurt am Main for over 20 years. In 1890, Thoma's first major successful solo exhibition took place at the Munich Kunstverein and he joined the Munich Secession. In 1899, Thoma was appointed director of the Kunsthalle and professor at the art school in Karlsruhe. In 1909, while he was still alive, Thoma was given his own museum in the Karlsruhe Kunsthalle, at which time he was one of the most respected artists and favorite painters in Germany. Oil and tempera on canvas; r. and ligature monogr. "HTh" with date 1916. 50 cm x 78.5 cm. Frame. Oil and tempera on canvas. Monogrammed and dated 1916.

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Hans Thoma (1839 Bernau - 1924 Karlsruhe)

Estimate 16 000 - 32 000 EUR
Starting price 16 000 EUR

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For sale on Saturday 07 Sep : 10:30 (CEST)
ahlden, Germany
Schloss Ahlden
+49516480100

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Hans Thoma (1839 Bernau - 1924 Karlsruhe) "Blossoming Summer" Original title Thoma's landscapes are among the artist's most impressive and striking works. This includes the present landscape, whose composition goes back to the well-known painting "Niederung am Rhein" (Staatl. Museen zu Berlin, Nationalgalerie, inv. no. A II 340) from 1869, which he took up and significantly modified in 1896. In the spring of 1869, Thoma undertook a trip to Paris with his friend, the painter Otto Scholderer, which became an artistic turning point for him. He saw the new, contemporary French painting and works of the Barbizon school (Millet, Rousseau, Corot etc.) for the first time. Above all, however, he was attracted by "the stormily revolutionary Courbet (...) Courbet had his own major exhibition, and I also visited him in his studio" (quoted in H. Thoma: "Im Herbste des Lebens", Munich 1909, p. 36). After his return to Germany, Thoma's impressions of Paris inspired him to create his own large-format landscape paintings directly from nature, which are characterized by a harmony of predominantly lush green tones. However, these landscapes, which Thoma gradually exhibited at the Karlsruher Kunstverein, were perceived as something completely unheard of at the time and met with derision. This also included the "Niederung am Rhein" from 1869 with its mysterious female figure completely integrated into nature, which is strongly reminiscent of Courbet and Corot. It seems as if Thoma had taken the criticism of the time to heart. As elegiac and melancholy as the early version with its silver-grey sky is, the new one is as summery and cheerful. The figure disappeared, he lightened the coloring, now painting a radiant blue, fragrantly cloudy summer sky; in the light of the sun, the fresh grasses and colorful blooming meadow flowers now stand out against the subtle grey-green. Thoma's landscapes can certainly be understood as landscapes of the soul, in which he also subtly expressed quiet, romantic yearnings for untouched nature, as has remained current since the Wandervogel movement around 1900. It took a long time for Thoma to achieve the success he had long sought. It was only after his exhibition at the Munich Kunstverein in 1890 that he became generally recognized; in 1899 he was appointed professor at the art school in Karlsruhe and in 1909, on his 70th birthday, a special Thoma Museum was opened at the Karlsruhe Kunsthalle in honour of one of Germany's most respected painters. Oil on canvas; r. and ligature monogram with date (18)96. 132.5 cm x 99.5 cm. Frame. An original photograph of the present painting entitled "Blühender Sommer" has survived in the estate of the Thoma researcher and art historian Joseph August Beringer (1862 - 1937). Provenance: Auction Karl & Faber, Munich, 03./04.06.1987, lot 204; Private collection, Switzerland; Auction Karl & Faber, Munich, 24.11.2021, lot 64. Oil on canvas. Signed and dated (18)96.