Karl Gussow (1843 - 1907)

Karl Gussow

Karl Gussow or Carl Gussow was a German realist painter of the 19th century.

Gussow began his painting studies at the Saxon Art School in Weimar and traveled to Italy. He later worked with the Belgian painter-historian Ferdinand Pauwels, who greatly influenced his style.

Gussow was active as a genre and portrait painter. Over time, his work became characterized by an almost photographic realism, which was not only admired but also criticized, as it was a completely new direction.

Karl Gussow lived in Karlsruhe and Berlin, where he maintained a private ladies' studio, later founding another private painting school. He obtained a position at the Karlsruhe Academy of Fine Arts, also worked at the Prussian Academy of Fine Arts and taught at the Munich Academy of Fine Arts.