Austrian school; second half of the 19th century. "View of the Alps". Oil on canvas.

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19th & 20th Century paintings and Decorative ...

By Setdart Auction House

Nov 10, 2021

Set Reminder 2021-11-10 08:00:00 2021-11-10 08:00:00 America/New_York Bidsquare Bidsquare : 19th & 20th Century paintings and Decorative Arts https://www.bidsquare.com/auctions/setdart-auction-house/19th-20th-century-paintings-and-decorative-arts-7800
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• Lot Description
  Austrian school; second half of the 19th century. "View of the Alps". Oil on canvas. Presents damage to the paint and stuccoed wood frame. Signed in the lower right corner. Measurements: 54 x 68.5 cm; 84 x 98 cm (frame). In this work the artist collects a view of the Alps from the valley, using a frontal perspective that allows to see an urban scene and in the distance the mountains that form the Alps. In the foreground we can see several buildings structured around a river. It is in this area where you can see the presence of two characters that are located on the left side of the image. However, despite their presence, the peasants have small dimensions in relation to the magnificence of the landscape. This interest in the landscape and the realistic and epic aesthetics with which this image has been conceived, place the work in the context of romanticism. Romantic painters wanted the pure landscape, almost without figures or totally devoid of them, to achieve the heroic significance of history painting. They were based on the idea that human feeling and nature should be complementary, one reflected in the other. That is, the landscape should arouse emotion and transmit ideas. Thus, landscape painters like the author of this painting tried to express their feelings through the landscape, instead of imitating it. The romantic landscape had two main aspects: the dramatic, with turbulent and fantastic views, and the naturalistic, which emphasized images of a peaceful and serene nature, as in this case. It is this second conception that we see embodied in this work; the painter tries to communicate a religious reverence for the landscape, nature in its fullness, free from the industrial elements of modern life. In fact, the painter's use of light here conveys a dreamy atmosphere, inviting the viewer to meditate and contemplate himself in the landscape. The romantic landscape is nevertheless made up of manifestations of very different types and not comparable to each other; it does not affect all the national schools equally, remaining more faithful to the tradition in schools such as the French or Dutch. Thus, in this canvas we do not find the grandiose scenographies of the British and Germans, the rugged mountains or the monumental Gothic ruins. On the contrary, it is a landscape centered in the foreground, a space enclosed in the background by the mountains. The most typical elements of the romantic landscape, such as the hostile climate or the Gothic ruin, do not appear. Likewise, the typical romantic perspective is used, very marked, in abyss, which is complemented by a slight confusion of points of view. Despite these local differences, this romanticism contained in the form, we find however a clearly poetic content, which goes beyond the simple representation of the natural to capture nature as a reflection of the author's feelings.
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