1166 - SPITZWEG, CARL

SPITZWEG, CARL 1808 Munich–1885 Munich Title: In the Forest. Subtitle: The Hunter and His Dog. Date: Circa 1865–1870. Technique: Oil on panel. Mounting: Parquet-mounted. Dimensions: 24.5 x 45 cm. Inscription: Signed lower left: S in a rhombus. Reverse: On the panel is a handwritten label from Galerie Heinemann, Munich, as well as two numbered labels; another is on the frame. Frame: Framed. Carl Spitzweg was born into a merchant family in Munich and enjoyed a sheltered childhood. Throughout his life, he remained loyal to his hometown; there he trained as an apothecary and studied pharmacy, chemistry, and botany. Having gained financial independence through an inheritance, the 25-year-old Spitzweg decided to follow his passion and devoted his life to painting from then on. He set himself a deadline of 15 years to establish himself as an artist and make a name for himself. Should he remain unsuccessful, he planned to return to his career as an apothecary. A circle of friends consisting of various painters, especially Eduard Schleich the Elder, offered valuable advice to the self-taught artist and encouraged his decision. Success came quickly: Spitzweg’s small-scale works, aimed at the new bourgeois class of buyers, soon sold well. The extremely diligent painter, however, was also a man who traveled frequently and was open to innovations in the artistic world. During his countless trips and hikes with his artist friends, he gathered impressions of Bavaria, the Alpine region, Northern Italy, and even Dalmatia. One journey that had a lasting influence on his artistic work took Carl Spitzweg, along with his brother and Eduard Schleich the Elder, first to Paris in 1851 and from there to the first World’s Fair in London. In Paris, Spitzweg made contact with the artists of the Barbizon School, whom he visited in the Forest of Fontainebleau. The direct painting of the landscape, the resulting new treatment of light and shadow, the non-linear application of paint, and the theatrical composition of landscapes—as practiced by the group around Théodore Rousseau, Camille Corot, and Charles François Daubigny—all of this impressed and fascinated Spitzweg. His subsequent encounter with William Turner’s works in London led his painting even further in the same direction. In Carl Spitzweg’s oeuvre, there are many paintings that directly reflect the influence of this 1851 journey. The atmospheric painting “In the Forest,” lot no. 1166, is one of them. Siegfried Wiechmann documents three versions of this motif, each on a different painting surface. Carl Spitzweg enjoyed revisiting the theme of the lonely hunter with a dog in various forms. In this painting, the darkness of the woods—which seems to grow more intense toward the edges of the image—is illuminated by a bright light in the middle ground, transforming it into a stage-like space. Here, the white dog is bathed in light. It is trudging after its owner, who can only be recognized by his—very characteristic—silhouette. The path on which both are walking, as well as the ruts running alongside it, lead to the edge of the forest in the distance. There, the light blue, cheerful sky reveals itself. It is a radiant day, no matter how dense and dark the woods may seem—a fact made clear by the bright light creeping onto the forest floor. With countless meticulous details, Carl Spitzweg has made the forest’s atmosphere palpable in his impasto painting. This painting offers a unique opportunity to experience Carl Spitzweg as a chronicler of small things and situations. Provenance: - Private collection, Germany; Lempertz auction, Cologne, May 22–25, 1951, lot 751; Lempertz auction, Cologne, November 3, 1950, lot 149, fig. plate 30; Dr. Ing. P. Schmitz, Düsseldorf, August 30, 1935; Heinemann Gallery, Munich, July 24, 1935; Art dealer Norbert Nusser, Biberach; JP Schneider Art Dealers, Frankfurt, 1918; Karl Haberstock Art Dealers, Augsburg, April 12, 1918; Max Braunthal Collection, Frankfurt. According to the current state of research, the provenance of this artwork is undisputed. Bibliography: S. Wichmann: Carl Spitzweg. Catalogue raisonné. Stuttgart 2002, p. 541, no. 1498, with ill. Estimated shipping costs for this lot: This lot is not suitable for parcel shipping. Transport is available only through a shipping company after consultation following the auction. Additional shipping insurance Shipping insurance up to a total invoice amount of 25,000 euros: max. 41.65 euros For a total invoice amount exceeding 25,000 Euros: 1.8 per thousand Shipping to the USA by individual arrangement after the auction. #Carl Spitzweg #Munich School #Biedermeier #Germany #19th C. #Hunting #Forest Scenes #Paintings.