작품 상세

Oil on wood Germany, around 1890 Wilhelm Velten (1847-1929) - Russian-German Painter Signed lower right 'W. Velten' Lively depiction of a historical scene Measurements in frame: 35.5 x 41 cm Good condition Provenance: from an old German Private Collection; since the 1920s in possession of this family Hussars, Dragoons and their encounters with country people are often shown in Velten's artworks; the auction record for an artwork by him stands at 35,000 Euros This fine painting by Russian-German painter Wilhelm Velten shows a regiment of Hussars meeting with the inhabitants of a town they are passing through. Two riders have ridden ahead to talk to a farmer and his wife in front of the farmstead, as the rest of the group approaches on the country road. It looks almost as though the riders are asking for directions; the locals are studying their map to find the route. Their own horse is behind them, carrying a heavy yoke around its neck - a stark contrast to the Hussar's groomed animals. The painting conveys a large amount of life; the sun beams down on buildings, roads and people. The busy farmers add to the apparent liveliness, which the artist has so masterfully rendered with brushstrokes, free and precise at the same time. The painting is in good condition, there is a small colour touch up in the upper right corner , but apart from that, the paint layer retains its original varnish. The upper right corner shows some thinning of colours, but apart from that, it shows only slight signs of framing. The painting is signed 'W. Velten' at the lower right. It measures 35.5 x 41 cm in its frame and 15.3 x 21 cm without it. Wilhelm Velten (1847-1929) Wilhelm Velten was born in Russia and studied at the Academy in St. Petersburg. After completion of his studies, he moved to Munich and began to specialize in genre painting depicting wild horsemen and the Hussars' life - to great success, as his painting can now be found, among other places, at the Fine Arts Academy in Buffalo, at the Neue Pinakothek in Munich and the State Gallery in Prague.