May 3
Embossed logo on the cover of the Munich Secessionist catalog (Photo: Princeton University Library)
Having decided that Wahle was part of the Munich Secessionist art movement based on his circle of friends, I sought out the catalogs for the Secessionist exhibits to see if he ever did show his art with this group. While I didn’t find many specifics about this paintings, I did find some key biographical information.
Friedrich Wahle, Gespräch Auf Dem Boulevard (Talk On The Boulevard) – sold July 2007
So as part of the Friedrich Wahle Project, I am assembling a catalog of his drawings and paintings. Using mainly online auction records from the last three decades, I’ve managed to put together a pretty interesting list. So here is approximately what I know so far:
In honor of William Shakespeare birthday (thought to be on April 23, 1564), I wanted to take a look at some of this plays. While some were set in England to be historically accurate, many of the plays are set in exotic cities through Europe and the Mediterannean to capture the imagination of the audience. Here are just a few of my favorite locales.
HAMLET – Kronborg Castle, Elsinore, Denmark
Will you find the ghost of the King walking the ramparts of Kronborg Castle? (Photo: Kronborg Castle, Agency for Palaces & Cultural Properties, Denmark)
Take a good look at the icon below (without reading its name).
Holy Virgin of the Three Hands (Museum of Russian Icons)
I’m obviously curious to know what Friedrich Wahle looked like. While research his catalog, I’ve been scouring for a known portrait. It looks like I may have found a little something – Wahle in caricature.
Friedrich Wahle in the upper left, from "Caricatures" (1) by Lovis Corinth
It may not be the best physical likeness but it goes a long way to understand Wahle and his friends. The sketch comes from a biography [2] by Horst Uhr of Lovis Corinth (1858-1925) who was a well known German artist whose work ranged from Impressionism to Expressionism. Corinth moved to Munich in 1880 to study art at the Academy of Fine Arts. In 1884, he left for Antwerp, then Paris and finally returned to Munich in 1891. He was a member of the Secessionist (or modern art) movement which was founded shortly after his return to Munich. Five years older than Wahle, it is unclear if Lovis and Friedrich met each other at the Academy or through the active Munich art world, but by 1896 they have clearly become friends.
The caricature drawing by Lovis Corinth was completed around 1896. The upper right figure is a self-portrait of Corinth. The central figure is Benno Becker (1860-1938) a painter, art collector, art critic and founding member of the Secessionist movement in Munich. The lower left figure in profile is Hermann Eichfield (1845-1917). After a stint in the Prussian army, Eichfield came to Munich to study art, contributed to literary magazines and was a founding member of the Secessionist movement. Finally, in the upper left is Friedrich Wahle.
It’s important here to note a distinction between the two artistic movements in Germany during the late 19th century: the Secessionists and the the Jugendstil (or Art Nouveau). Horst Uhr notes in the biography that this caricature has elements of the Jugendstil with its “curvilinear patterns and capricious arabesques” and may have been a playful jaunt by Corinth into that style. However, Corinth and the other Secessionists were decidedly modern. They wanted to pursue art outside the traditional and academic style which meant they were more aligned with the Impressionist movement. Even still, Corinth’s incredible self-portrait below with a skeleton looks contemporary even by 21st century standards.
Given the associations of the other men in the caricature, I would be surprised if Wahle was not a part of the Secessionist art movement in Munich at the time. Since Corinth, Eichfield and Becker were also very involved in the foundation of this movement, Wahle may have been more connected than I first envisioned and definitely more than just a commercial artist for magazines.
It’s interesting what kind of clues you can get from a little cartoon portrait!
Lovis Corinth, "Self-Portrait with Skeleton", 1896 (Lenbachhaus Art Museum, Munich)
"Portrait of the Painter Benno Becker" by Lovis Corinth, 1892 (Von der Heydt Museum) - a slightly more realistic likeness than the central caricature figure
Benno Becker "River bank near Bologna" (Galerie Konrad Bayer)
Hermann Eichfeld, "Country Road with Approaching Storm", 1895. Sold at auction in 2009.
[1] Lovis Corinth, Caricatures , c. 1896. Pencil, 32.6 × 23.7 cm. Formerly Collection Johannes Guthmann, Ebenhausen; present whereabouts unknown. Photo courtesy Hans-Jürgen Imiela. Appears on page 87 of [2] below.
[2] Uhr, Horst. Lovis Corinth. Berkeley: University of California Press, 1990. Full text here.
Daydream Tourist 