Germany 19th century
Jenny Fikentscher (born Nottebohm) was a German painter and graphic artist associated with the Art Nouveau movement. She studied at the School of Women Painters in Karlsruhe and later became part of the Grötzingen artist colony. Fikentscher married animal painter Otto Fikentscher and raised five children in an unconventional artistic household. She was known for her botanical motifs and lithographs, often featuring local plants. Fikentscher also created collectible images for the Stollwerck chocolate company.
Wilhelm Schmurr was a German painter and co-founder of the Sonderbund in Düsseldorf. His style, characterized by clear expression, was influenced by the Pre-Raphaelites, Symbolists, and Realists. He received several awards and medals for his work and was a member of various art associations. Schmurr taught at the Kunstakademie Düsseldorf and inspired by the farmers after the war, he created scenes of simple life and still lifes. He was awarded the Karl-Ernst-Osthaus-Preis and the Bundesverdienstkreuz erster Klasse and became an honorary member of various artist associations.
Andreas Achenbach was a German landscape and seascape painter in the Romantic style. He is considered to be one of the founders of the Düsseldorf School.[citation needed] His brother, Oswald, was also a well known landscape painter. Together, based on their initials, they were known as the "Alpha and Omega" of landscape painters.
Oswald Achenbach was a German painter associated with the Düsseldorf school of painting. Though little known today, during his lifetime he was counted among the most important landscape painters of Europe. Through his teaching activities, he influenced the Kunstakademie Düsseldorf. His brother, Andreas Achenbach, who was twelve years older, was also among the most important German landscape painters of the 19th century. The two brothers were humorously called "the A and O of Landscapes" (a reference to their initials matching a common German reference to the Alpha and Omega).
Otto Ackermann was a 19th-century German painter, mainly of landscapes. In 1897, he moved to Düsseldorf, where he remained until his death. He painted mainly landscape paintings of Belgium and the Netherlands, also working in printmaking on the same subjects. He was chairman of the local Düsseldorf Painters' Society and is mentioned in the diaries of Albert Herzfeld.
Johann Adam Ackermann was a German landscape painter of the early 19th century. His best-known works are his winter landscapes and watercolours. Johann Ackermann was the brother of Georg Friedrich Ackermann, who also painted landscapes but with less success.
Rudolph Ackermann the Elder was a German and British inventor and publisher, founder of Ackermann & Co.
He was the son of a master saddler, learned the craft and in time achieved a high art in carriage making, designing carriages and coaches. In 1794 Ackermann opened a printing and picture store in London, which quickly became popular. The following year he opened a printing shop at 96 Strand - thus began the printing business of the Ackermann dynasty, which lasted for over two hundred years.
Between 1808 and 1810. Ackermann published the first of his sumptuous plate books, The Microcosm of London, with beautiful hand-colored aquatints. This work established his reputation as a book publisher, and he subsequently published many more elaborate illustrated books. Ackermann also gained widespread fame for the periodical he founded in 1809, the Repository of Art, Literature, Commerce, Manufactures, Fashion, and Politics. This popular journal, published monthly until 1828, contained articles and illustrations of various kinds, especially on fashion, social and literary news.
Ackermann's business flourished, and by the end of 1820 he had established offices in Central and South America. Continuators of the Ackermann dynasty were in the printing business until the end of the twentieth centur
Julius Anton Adam was a German genre painter and animalist who specialised in the depiction of cats and was a member of an influential family of Munich painters.
Julius Anton Adam was a pupil of Professor Michael Echter and later Wilhelm von Dietz at the Munich Academy of Art. He later became a professor himself.
Benno Rafael Adam is a German animalist painter.
He began his fine art studies under the tutelage of his father, the balloonist painter Albrecht Adam. He masterfully depicted hunting dogs and horses, especially scenes of hunting wild animals. Benno Adam also illustrated several textbooks and manuals on livestock breeding.
Benno's son Emil Adam also became an artist.
Albrecht Adam was a Bavarian painter of the first half of the 19th century. He is best known for the fact that as a member of Napoleon's Grand Army he took part in the campaign against Russia in 1812 as the official artist of the headquarters of the IV (Italian) Corps. Throughout the campaign, the artist made sketches and drawings, capturing many of the important events of the campaign. Later, many of these sketches became the basis for full-fledged paintings, and to subjects from the Napoleonic wars, which he witnessed, Adam addressed until the end of his very long life.
Albrecht Adam was also the author of memoirs, in which he described in detail the Battle of Borodino and a number of other key events of the War of 1812.
Carl Adloff was a German landscape painter. He is known for his urban scenes, architectural compositions and winter views.
Carl Adloff studied painting at the Düsseldorf Academy of Fine Arts from 1833 to 1843, where he attended the landscape class of Johann Wilhelm Schirmer and the architecture class of Rudolf Wigman. His choice of motifs favoured the Dutch landscape, based on seventeenth-century Netherlandish painting. He often painted seascapes enveloped in a romantic mood of tranquillity in moonlight, morning and evening light.
Lawrence Alma-Tadema was a Dutch-British artist renowned for his detailed and romanticized portrayals of ancient civilizations, particularly Rome and Egypt. His meticulous attention to historical accuracy and the lavish representation of marble and luxurious settings distinguished his work. Notably, his fascination with ancient cultures was sparked by his honeymoon visit to Italy and Pompeii, influencing his artistic focus for decades.
Lawrence Alma-Tadema's early work, such as "The Education of the Children of Clovis," showcased his interest in historical subjects and established his reputation. This painting, alongside others like "The Sad Father," demonstrates his commitment to historical detail and narrative depth.
After moving to England due to the Franco-Prussian War and personal reasons, Lawrence Alma-Tadema's career flourished. His works, characterized by their bright palette and refined details, resonated with Victorian audiences, earning him considerable fame and financial success. He was knighted in 1899 and continued to be a pivotal figure in Victorian art, influencing peers and future generations alike.
Lawrence Alma-Tadema's legacy experienced a decline posthumously but saw a resurgence in the 1970s. Today, he is celebrated for his contributions to the Neoclassical and Victorian art movements, with his works featured in prominent collections worldwide, including the Getty Museum and the Tate Gallery.
If you are fascinated by Lawrence Alma-Tadema's artwork and wish to stay updated on sales and auction events related to his works, consider signing up for updates. This will ensure you remain informed about new opportunities to explore and possibly acquire pieces of his illustrious legacy.
Jakob Alt was an Austrian landscape painter, graphic artist and lithographer. He studied painting at the Vienna Academy of Fine Arts.
He travelled extensively through the Austrian Alps and the Danube regions, painting landscapes. For 5 years he lived and worked in Italy. During his travels the artist also collected an extensive herbarium, which is now preserved in the Provincial Museum of Lower Austria.
Otto Altenkirch was a German impressionist painter and stage designer. He studied at the Berlin University of the Arts and the Dresden Academy of Fine Arts.
Otto Altenkirch was one of the founders of the Künstlervereinigung Dresden, one of the artists who worked at the Dresden Museum and the Opera House.
For two decades one of his favourite subjects was the linden alley in Rheinsberg. In 1941 and 1943 his works were exhibited in the Große Deutsche Kunstausstellung (exhibition of Nazi-approved art in Munich).
Wilhelm Amberg was a German genre painter. He was educated by the painters Carl Joseph Begas in Berlin and Léon Cogniet in Paris (1845). After this he spent a couple of years in Rome. His paintings are characterized by humour and a poetic atmosphere.
Wilhelm Amberg has won many awards and from 1886 was a Member of the Senate of the Prussian Academy of Arts, Berlin.
Gustav Adolf Amberger was a German painter and graphic artist. He lived in Rome for two years and learned the painting trade from Peter von Cornelius. One of his first works was the painting The Oceanides. Amberger worked as a designer in the ribbon factory founded by Philipp Trüdinger. Around 1870 he was the court painter to the Landgrave of Hesse. In Antwerp he was a pupil of Joseph van Lerius and made numerous copies, of which Les deux voies is the best known.
Samuel Amsler is a Swiss engraver. He studied his art under Johan Heinrich Lips and Karl Ernst Hess, at Munich, and from 1816 pursued it in Italy, and chiefly at Rome, till in 1829 he succeeded his former master Hess as professor of engraving in the Munich academy. The works he designed and engraved are remarkable for the grace of the figures, and for the wonderful skill with which he retains and expresses the characteristics of the original paintings and statues. He was a passionate admirer of Raphael, and had great success in reproducing his works.
Louise Elisabeth Andrae was a German Post-Impressionist landscape painter and watercolorist. She studied with two landscape painters; Gustav Adolf Thamm in Dresden and Hans von Volkmann in Karlsruhe. She settled in Dresden, but spent long periods on the island of Hiddensee. There, she helped organize a group known as the Hiddensoer Künstlerinnenbund, an association of women artists that included Clara Arnheim, Elisabeth Büchsel, Käthe Loewenthal and Katharina Bamberg. They were regular exhibitors at an art venue known as the Blaue Scheune (Blue Barn), established in 1920 by Henni Lehmann. She also exhibited frequently with a group known as the Kunstkaten in Ahrenshoop.Wikipedia
Hermann Anschütz was a German painter of the 19th century. He is known as a painter and teacher who belonged to the Düsseldorf School of painting. He was a professor at the Munich Academy of Fine Arts.
Anschütz painted mythological and historical subjects, as well as landscapes and portraits. A number of his canvases were devoted to oriental themes. In 1860 he was one of the founders of the Munich Christian Art Association.
Mark Matveyevich Antokolsky (Russian: Марк Матве́евич Антоко́льский) was a 19th century Russian sculptor and writer. He is known as a representative of the realistic style and as the first sculptor of Jewish origin to gain international fame.
Mark Antokolsky devoted most of his career to the depiction in marble, plaster and bronze of the real characters of Russian history and achieved wide recognition already at a young age. His works were highly appreciated not only in Russia but also abroad and the artist was elected a member of many European academies of arts.
Mark Antokolsky was also a very successful writer. He often wrote publicistic articles on the development of the visual arts, and shortly before his death he published a novel describing real-life events in the life of the Jews in the Russian Empire.
Although from the early 1870s Mark Antokolsky spent most of his time living in France, he never lost touch with Russia - he constantly carried out orders for the royal family and the Russian Academy of Arts, wrote articles for Russian magazines, and regularly held solo exhibitions of his works in St. Petersburg.
Carl Johann Arnold was a German painter, draftsman, and graphic artist.
He was the son and pupil of the designer and wallpaper maker, landscape and portrait painter, lithographer, and decorator Carl Heinrich Arnold (1793-1874).
He first studied at the Academy in Kassel and then went to Berlin. Carl Johann Arnold painted pictures of animals, canvases on historical events, and numerous portraits. In particular, he created many portraits of the German Emperor Wilhelm II, for which he was apparently appointed royal Prussian court painter. Arnold also produced drawings, etchings, and lithographs that were published in the popular magazines of the time.
Albert Arnz was a German landscape painter of the Düsseldorf school. He studied painting from 1854 to 1860 at the Dusseldorf Academy of Art, where his two teachers were Andreas and Oswald Achenbach. Arntz painted atmospheric landscapes in Germany, Italy and Switzerland.
Albert Arntz was a member of the Malkasten Art Society and participated in their "living paintings" from 1875 onwards.
Robert Assmus is a German landscape artist and illustrator. He took lessons from the floral artist Friedrich Wilhelm Völker. He devoted himself entirely to landscape painting, earning a living by illustrating for the newspapers Illustrirte Zeitung, Die Gartenlaube, Daheim magazine and other publications. After the end of the Franco-Prussian War of 1870-1871, he undertook study trips to northern Italy, the Carpathians, Hungary, the Baltic Sea and Switzerland. Inspired by what he saw, he published a magnificent illustrated work, the album “Alsace-Lorraine,” which received positive reviews from the public.
Carl Daniel David Friedrich Bach was a German artist of the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries, the Baroque period. He is known as a painter, graphic artist and printmaker.
Bach worked in the historical genre, was a portraitist, animalist, created canvases on allegorical subjects in the spirit of his era. In his works he combined elements of baroque and classicism. The artist often worked in the etching needle technique.
Guido Bach was a German portrait painter who focused mainly on watercolor painting. Bach traveled to Italy, Bohemia, and also visited Egypt. He created portraits and depictions of Italian village life, battle scenes, and images of North African Arab life.
Gottfried Albert Maria Bachem was a German painter and illustrator of the Düsseldorf School. Bachem, who belonged to the Malkasten artists' association from 1921 to 1932, painted portraits, genre scenes and landscapes, and he also illustrated children's books. From 1900 he took part in numerous art exhibitions, including in Berlin.
Alfred August Felix Bachmann, a distinguished German Orientalist painter, carved a niche for himself in the realm of art with his exceptional talent. His journey in art began post-high school, under the tutelage of Max Schmidt at the Königsberg Academy of Art, eventually leading him to explore and derive inspiration from various European locales. Bachmann's dedication to his craft saw him making Munich his home from 1891 onwards, immersing himself in the city's vibrant art scene.
Bachmann's oeuvre primarily showcases his profound connection with coastal landscapes, though his versatility also shines through in his depictions of prairies and hilly terrains. His participation in the prestigious exhibitions at the Glaspalast in Munich since 1887 underscores his prominence in the art world. Notably, his artistic excellence was recognized with a gold medal at the Glaspalast exhibition in Berlin in 1913, an Austrian Grand Gold Medal Service Award in 1917, and the German Service Cross in 1952, attesting to his significant contributions to art.
His artistic journey included an intriguing role appointed by Otto Erich Hartleben to the "Halkonian Academy for Unexplored Sciences," where Bachmann created a poignant last portrait of Hartleben, titled "Last Greetings." This work, among others, demonstrates Bachmann's deep intellectual and emotional engagement with his subjects.
Bachmann's legacy is celebrated in many esteemed collections, evidencing the lasting impact of his works on the art community and collectors alike. His contributions to Orientalist painting and his unique ability to capture the essence of his subjects have solidified his place in art history.
For art collectors and enthusiasts keen on exploring the works of Alfred August Felix Bachmann, signing up for updates can enrich your collection with pieces that not only exemplify exquisite craftsmanship but also carry historical significance. Stay informed about new sales and auction events dedicated to Bachmann's art by subscribing for updates today.
Friedrich Baedeker, full name Friedrich Wilhelm Justus Baedeker or F. W. J. Baedeker, was a German pharmacist, bird egg collector and bird illustrator.
In addition to his work as a pharmacist, Baedeker had a passion for ornithology and was a good artist. His 774 watercolors are known, depicting some 386 European birds. In time, Baedeker became widely known as an ornithologist and zoologist, and his huge collection included about 4,000 eggs of various European and exotic birds.
Baedeker joined the Deutsche Ornithologen-Gesellschaft (German Society of Ornithologists) in 1851, shortly after its founding, and published several books on birds. One of these was Die Eier der europaeischen Voegel nach der Natur gemalt ("The Eggs of European Birds Drawn from Nature").
Friedrich August Baer was a German painter who initially pursued law but turned to painting after being inspired by Eduard Schleich's work. He was a self-taught artist who received guidance from Adolf Lier and Hermann Baisch. Baer was a member of the Munich Art Association and exhibited his works in various exhibitions across Germany and Austria. He became interested in painting high mountain landscapes and was occasionally misunderstood for his unique style. Baer was also a writer and book illustrator and received several medals and awards for his artistic achievements.
Hermann Baisch was a German painter of the second half of the 19th century. He is known as a landscape painter.
Baisch found inspiration for his landscapes in the neighborhoods around Munich. He often depicted livestock in his paintings, which created a cozy and warm atmosphere. The artist preferred to work en plein air, and his works showed the influence of French Impressionism. His most successful works, in particular, are considered to be "Cows in the pasture", "Morning", "Near Dortrecht at low tide", "On the Dutch Canal".
Baisch was a member of the academies of fine arts in Berlin, Munich and Vienna, as well as a professor at the Art School in Karlsruhe.
Hans Baluschek, full name Alphons Anton Alexander Hans Ernst Karl Maria Baluschek, was a German painter, graphic artist and writer, representative of the New Materiality style.
Baluschek studied at the Royal Academy of Arts, and in 1900 became a member of the Berlin Secession, a group of artists that also included Ernst Barlach, Max Beckmann, and Wassily Kandinsky. Baluschek was always socially critical, which was reflected in the subjects of his paintings. Many of his paintings are dedicated to the working class of Berlin, he addressed the gray everyday life of Berlin: gray air, gray walls, gray people. Baluschek is often categorized as a German Expressionist because of his emotional style, but his style has something of New Objectivity, Impressionism, and naive painting. He also drew illustrations for the popular children's book Little Peter's Trip to the Moon, and collaborated with periodicals as an illustrator.
World War I instilled patriotic feelings in Baluschek, and he painted a number of subjects on this theme. After the war, he joined the Social Democratic Party and became involved in labor movements. In 1926 he helped establish an artists' relief fund and later became director of the annual Berlin Exhibition. The German Nazis, who came to power in 1933, declared Baluschek a Marxist and a "degenerate artist," suspended him from all positions, and banned him from exhibiting.
Fritz Bamberger was a German landscape painter.
Bamberger studied painting at the Prussian Academy of Fine Arts, in Munich and in Berlin. He mainly painted landscapes with views of Gibraltar, the coasts of Cadiz and Malaga, Valencia, and landscapes of Spain, where he visited many times. The artist's patrons showed great interest specifically in his Spanish paintings. He later moved to Munich, where he became known for painting landscapes and portraits of noblemen.
Ernst Heinrich Barlach was a German expressionist sculptor, medallist, printmaker and writer. Although he was a supporter of the war in the years leading to World War I, his participation in the war made him change his position, and he is mostly known for his sculptures protesting against the war. This created many conflicts during the rise of the Nazi Party, when most of his works were confiscated as degenerate art. Stylistically, his literary and artistic work would fall between the categories of twentieth-century Realism and Expressionism.
Hans von Bartels was a German painter.
Bartels is associated with the Düsseldorf school of painting. Although an oil painter of great power, he is also one of the leading German water-colour painters, mainly of marines and scenes of fishing life, painted with rude vigour and a great display of technical skill. Bartels made a great contribution to the development of the watercolour. He was the first to use watercolour paint of large formats without the earlier conventions. From 1887 Von Bartels came every summer to the Dutch coast, especially to Katwijk aan Zee, to paint the fisherfolk and their labour. He excels in storm scenes and in depicting the strong, healthy fishing-folk of the northern coasts. He became an honorary member of leading English, German, Dutch, Belgian and Austrian art societies.
Paul Barthel was a German genre painter and portrait painter. He studied painting from 1877 at the School of Applied Arts in Dresden and then at the Royal Prussian Academy of Arts in Berlin with Julius Ehrentraut and Eugen Bracht.
Paul Barthel worked in Dresden, where he focused mainly on watercolours. In 1922 he settled in Bamberg, where he worked as a restorer.
Jeanne Bauck, full name Jeanna Maria Charlotta Bauck, was a Swedish-German artist.
She studied painting in Dresden and Düsseldorf with the best teachers of the time. Later in Munich, Jeanne met the artist Berthe Wegmann, who became her friend. The emancipated women painted portraits of each other and exhibited their work in the Paris Salon. In 1882 Bauck opened a school for women artists in Munich and along with teaching painted landscapes, children's portraits.
Heinrich Baucke was a German sculptor renowned for his neo-baroque masterpieces, flourishing at the turn of the 20th century. Born in Düsseldorf on April 15, 1875, Baucke dedicated his life to the creation of statues and memorials that captured the nobility and distinguished figures of his time.
Trained at the Kunstakademie Düsseldorf under the tutelage of Karl Janssen from 1891 to 1900, Baucke's sculptures won him first prizes in competitions, solidifying his reputation as a preeminent artist. His works, primarily in bronze, are celebrated for their intricate detail and evocative presence. One of his earliest successes, "The Victorious Boxer" created in 1897, today stands in the Kunsthalle Düsseldorf, a testament to his skill and artistic vision.
Baucke's creations are not just pieces of art; they are historical dialogues in metal, with works like the bust of German Emperor Wilhelm I and the statue of King Friedrich I adorning public spaces, bridging the past with the present. His death on April 12 or 13, 1915, in Ratingen, marked the end of an era for German neo-baroque sculpture.
For collectors and art historians, Baucke's works offer a glimpse into the neo-baroque sensibilities of a bygone era. His sculptures, which often graced public spaces and exhibitions, now hold a place of honor in galleries and are sought after in auctions for their historical and artistic value.
Explore the legacy of Heinrich Baucke by signing up for our newsletter, and seize the opportunity to collect pieces from one of the neo-baroque's finest sculptors.
Constantin Ludwig Bauer was a German painter. Numerous landscape watercolors come from Bauer. Bauer studied from 1869 to 1873 at the Academy of Fine Arts in Munich. He learned figure painting from Alexander Wagner and copperplate engraving from Johann Leonhard Raab. In 1878 Bauer moved to Obermais (South Tyrol). There he devoted himself to landscape painting.
Christopher Bechtler is a German-born American jeweller and watchmaker.
Christopher Bechtler became famous and rich during the American gold rush due to his business idea of melting mining and panning gold into standardized dollar coins with precisely defined metal content. In doing so, he introduced dollar coins based on the gold standard, which were only accepted and minted by the US government after a long time.
Christopher Bechtler minted over a million gold coins between 1831 and 1841, which today are highly sought after by collectors and are worth several thousand dollars per piece.
Carl Emil Rudolf Ludwig Becker was a German marine artist.
He was awarded gold medals at the International Art Exhibition of 1894, in Vienna, and the Große Berliner Kunstausstellung of 1896. Three years later, he was one of the co-founders of the Düsseldorfer Künstler-Vereinigung (artists' association). After the turn of the century, marine painting was heavily promoted by Kaiser Wilhelm II, who was attempting to make Germany a major sea power. As a result, the demand for Becker's paintings increased farther inland.
Peter Becker is a German landscape painter, engraver, and lithographer. In his many landscape works he romanticizes the German forest and enlivens it with historical characters. He also painted genre scenes and depicted city streets.
Karl Ludwig Friedrich Becker was a German historical painter of the 19th century.
Becker studied at the Berlin Academy of Fine Arts, and later in Munich he perfected himself under Heinrich Maria von Hess and in Italy. On his canvases the artist depicted mainly scenes from Venetian life in the XVI and XVII centuries.
Karl Becker was elected a member of the council of the Berlin Academy of Arts, and later honorary president of the Academy, as well as a member of the Royal Belgian Academy.
Adalbert Franz Eugene Begas is a German painter and portrait painter. In 1862, Adalbert followed his brother, the sculptor Reinhold, to the Grand Ducal Saxon School of Art in Weimar, where he began working in the workshop of Arnold Böcklin.
Hiob Carl Oscar Begas was a German painter of the mid-nineteenth century. He is known as a portraitist, landscape painter, historian, teacher, son of the painter Carl Begas, brother of the sculptors and painters Carl, Rheingold and Adalbert Begas.
Oscar Begas was the author of portraits of many prominent German and foreign statesmen and military figures, representatives of science and culture. Becoming a popular painter, he received many orders from King Friedrich Wilhelm IV of Prussia. According to critics, more than in commissioned portraits, Begas's painterly skill was demonstrated in his atmospheric winter and autumn landscapes, on which the master concentrated towards the end of his life.
Reinhold Begas was a German sculptor of the second half of the 19th century. He is known as a representative of the neo-baroque style of the Berlin school of sculpture. Many of Begas' works still adorn squares in Berlin and other German cities today.
Reinhold Begas was the most famous representative of the family dynasty of painters and sculptors. His father Carl Joseph Begas, his brothers Carl Begas, Oskar Begas and Adalbert Begas and his eldest son Werner Begas all left their mark on German culture.
Reinhold Begas was one of the first professors at the Weimar School of Art. Until his death, the sculptor was a member of the Association of German Artists and a professor at the National Academy of Art.
During his lifetime, Begas created hundreds of works, including statues, busts, tombstones and bas-reliefs, but many of them were later destroyed during wars, revolutions and regime changes, including for political reasons.
Marcus Behmer, full name Marcus Michael Douglas Behmer, known by the pseudonyms Marcotino und Maurice Besnaux, is a German artist, graphic designer and illustrator.
Marcus was the son of the painter Hermann Behmer, participated in World War I and painted miniature portraits of fellow soldiers. From 1900 he began to collaborate with Munich periodicals and book publishers. Bemer drew hundreds of drawings and illustrations and published a series of engravings that were recognized and successful. He also designed typefaces.
In 1936, Behmer was convicted of homosexuality and spent a year and a half in prison, where the artist also found the strength to draw. During World War II, almost all of Bemer's creations were lost or destroyed.
Fritz Behn, full name Max Adolf Friedrich Behn, is a German sculptor and graphic artist who became famous primarily for his sculptures of African animals. He studied at the Munich Academy of Fine Arts.
Fritz Behn was a member of the Munich Secession.
Peter Behrens was a seminal figure in modern design and architecture, heralded as the first industrial designer and a pioneer in modernist architecture. Born in Hamburg, Germany, Behrens's influence spanned across various domains, including architecture, industrial design, and graphic design. His holistic design approach was revolutionary, encompassing everything from architectural projects to corporate identities.
Behrens's association with AEG (Allgemeine Elektrizitäts-Gesellschaft) marked a significant chapter in his career. Hired as an artistic consultant in 1907, he crafted a comprehensive corporate identity for AEG, including the iconic AEG Turbine Factory (1909), a hallmark of industrial classicism and modernism. This work is celebrated for its pioneering approach to industrial architecture and design, integrating form and function with unprecedented clarity and coherence.
His architectural ventures displayed a versatility and an evolution of style, from the monumental, stripped classical form seen in the German Embassy in St Petersburg (1912) and the Administration Building for Continental AG in Hannover (1912-1914), to the expressive Brick Expressionism of the Technical Administration Building of Hoechst AG in Frankfurt (1920-1924). Behrens's work in the 1920s, including the design for the 'New Ways' house in Northampton, UK, and contributions to the Weissenhof Estate in Stuttgart, underscored his shift towards New Objectivity and modernist principles.
Moreover, Behrens's educational contributions were profound, with his teaching stints at the Academy of Fine Arts Vienna influencing a new generation of architects, including luminaries such as Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, Le Corbusier, and Walter Gropius, who would themselves go on to define the course of 20th-century architecture.
Behrens's legacy is a testament to the transformative power of design, illustrating how integrated and forward-thinking approaches can redefine our built environment and the objects we use daily. His work remains an essential study for collectors, experts in art and antiques, and anyone interested in the evolution of modern design and architecture.
For updates on exhibitions and auctions featuring Peter Behrens's work, sign up for our newsletter. Stay informed about new discoveries, sales, and events related to this pivotal figure in modern architecture and design.
Wohl Gyula Benczúr was a Hungarian painter, recognized as a master of scenes from the history of his native Hungary.
He studied drawing with the Austrian historical painter Franz Heiling, and from 1861 he studied painting at the Royal Bavarian Academy in Munich. Later in his homeland he took up a professorship at the School of Painting.
Benczúr painted portraits of kings, aristocrats and other contemporaries, but his specialty remained large-scale historical paintings with a play of light and shadow. He also took on ancient and biblical themes, as well as genre-based group paintings of families in nature.
Albert Berg was a German landscape painter and museum director.
Berg was educated in diplomacy and law, and also studied painting and painted landscapes. From his travels to Constantinople, New Granada, Rhodes and Asia Minor, Berg brought back many sketches and notes and published them. He was also a member of the Prussian and German Customs Union's diplomatic expedition to Asia and the Pacific in 1859-1862. This resulted in the publication of a pictorial narrative entitled The Prussian Expedition to East Asia: Views of Japan, China and Siam. This historical work reproduces watercolors, oil paintings, and pen and ink drawings, mostly by Albert Berg. The sheets depict views and scenes of Yeddo, Yokahama, Ikegami, Nagasaki, Tientsin, Beijing, Hong Kong, Macau, Ayudhya and Bangkok, with explanations in German, French and English. The crew also included merchants, geographers and botanists, the draughtsman Wilhelm Heine, and the photographers Karl Bismarck and August Sachtler.
In 1880, Albert Berg was appointed the first director of the Silesian Museum of Fine Arts in Breslau and headed it until his death in 1884.
Siegfried Berndt, born 1880 in Germany and passing away in 1946, was a distinguished painter and printmaker whose artistic contributions are often overlooked in art history. After studying at the Dresden Art Academy, Berndt received a travel scholarship that profoundly influenced his art, taking him to cities like Paris, Brussels, Antwerp, London, and Scotland. These travels exposed him to diverse artistic movements, enriching his work with elements of Impressionism, Expressionism, and New Objectivity.
Berndt was especially skilled in the traditional Japanese woodblock printmaking technique, which he employed to explore various artistic styles. This unique approach resulted in color woodcuts with a distinct personality, appealing to a wide range of collectors. His woodblock prints are particularly noted for their innovative use of this traditional technique, blending it with Western artistic movements.
Despite the challenges posed by the two World Wars, Berndt's work found its way into public collections and was recognized for its artistic merit. However, much of his pictorial work was lost due to the turmoil of war. Some of his expressive pastel works, often repeated with small variations, as well as oil paintings, have been documented.
Berndt's art remains relevant for collectors, auctioneers, and experts in art and antiques, particularly for those interested in the intersection of Eastern and Western printmaking techniques. His work, although not as widely known, represents a unique blend of styles and techniques that contribute to the rich tapestry of early 20th-century art.
For enthusiasts interested in staying updated about sales and auction events related to Siegfried Berndt's work, subscribing to updates would be beneficial. This ensures access to the latest information about new sales and auction events related to his art.
Charles Best or Carl Conrad Best was a German-born British army officer who served in the armies of the East India Company.
Best served for over seventeen years in the Hanoverian forces stationed in India and in the British colonial administration. In his notes, published in 1807, he describes parts of India, including a description of Madras. The work also covers the East Indies, the Cape of Good Hope, and St. Helena, and is illustrated with landscapes and inhabitants of these places. The author also writes about the Hindu and Muslim religions, cults and customs, temples and mosques.
Henryka Zofia Maria Beyer was a German-Polish artist of the first half of the 19th century. She is known as a painter and graphic artist.
Henryka Beyer moved to Warsaw from Berlin early in her career. She worked in oil, watercolor and gouache. The artist preferred to paint still lifes with flowers and fruits in warm, dark colors, creating them in the style of Dutch artists of the 17th and 18th centuries and using mostly watercolors. She signed her works as Hka Beyer.
Beyer established the first painting school for women in Poland.
Robert Beyschlag was a German painter of the 19th century. He is known as a painter, famous for his paintings of mythological subjects and portraits of women.
Beyschlag early in his career created genre paintings depicting the medieval era, but later turned his attention to mythology, a prime example of which is the oft-repeated depiction of Psyche in his works. Inspired by Romanticism, the artist also created pastoral subjects with peasant women and shepherdesses. His work was characterized by optimism, theatricalization and idealization of characters, as well as rich colorism. He also created frescoes for the Bavarian National Museum in Munich, depicting scenes from the history of the Crusades.
