Johannes Till (The Younger) 1827-1894 - Figurative Genre Watercolor - Bohmischer Bauer

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I found this beautiful watercolor this morning on a European site and wanted to share it with you. It is not a nude of course, but it is still a very impressive work. An artist who has mastered total control of the watercolor medium never ceases to impress me. Watercolor is so unforgiving that you had better know what you are doing or you will have a real mess on your hands. Johannes Till (The Younger)(1827-1894) was an Austrian painter of historical and genre subjects. He was born in Vienna in 1827. He was a student of his father, Jean Till, at the Academy of Vienna. He continued his studies in Italy and in France and finally established his own studio in Vienna. He began to exhibit in Vienna in 1877. He is well known for his variety of subject matter, children, peasants, and monks. He is well represented in museum collections. His oil paintings command some impressive figures. I just cannot put into words how beautiful the brushwork ,with its negative and positive accentuation's, is to my eye. Right up there with John Singer Sargent, a true master of the medium. Take a look at that third picture below and just admire the careful placement of layers of color.
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Tito Agujari (1834-1908) Roman Figural Scene - circa 1880

As I started my usual Saturday morning site browse, I found this 19th century preparatory study in watercolor and what really caught my eye was the large amount of action going on within the confines of that mat. Technically not an Academic nude but what it does illustrate in my mind is what an artist does with all of that classical 19th century Academy training he or she received. I am not sure what this scene represents but for me it is exciting and all that action immediately caught my eye. The interplay of human forms, some standing, some sitting, leaning, arms out, along with the application of color to the underdrawing, all adds to the excitement.

Tito Agujari (1834-1908) was an Italian painter and popular drawing instructor in Trieste, where he taught for thirty years. Agujari painted in the academic style, specializing in landscapes, portraits, religious and historical themes, as well as some remarkable watercolors. He was connected to Baron Pasquale Revoltella in Trieste. Enjoy.
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Caption: Roman Scene

Artist: Tito Agujari (1834-1908)

Material: Pencil and watercolor on Paper

Dated: circa 1880

Martin Nicolaus (1870-1945) Badende am Teich (Bathers at the Pond) 1925

Gallery Jacobsa Nurnburg, Germany, has listed a beautifully lyrical "bathing nudes" genre painting in their eBay store. It is a bit out of my league price wise right now after spending mega-bucks (for me that is) for that Baucke bronze but it is still a very nicely done painting reminiscent of the works of Ludwig von Hofmann. Martin Nicolaus (1870-1945) is a well listed German portrait, landscape and figurative painter. He is well represented in many auction houses. The fine folks of Gallery Jacobsa are very knowledgeable, trustworthy, and speak English if you find something in their offerings you like.
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Caption: Badende am Teich

Artist: Martin Nicolaus (1870-1945)

Materials: Oils on Canvas

Dated: 1925

Nude Male Youth (Knabenakt) Studio Drawing circa 1880

I photographed the late 19th century studio drawing of a nude boy. I stripped off the mounting it was in to reveal more of the boy's feet. Although bought from a German dealer, it may be French in origin.

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Recent Figurative Works from Blogspot: "Peintures des Musees de France"

One of the Blogs I follow regularily is "Peintures Musees de France" (highly recommended) which features a travelog of visits to Art Museums, well known and not so well known, throughout France. It is in French but is well worth a visit now and again for a first hand impression of French cultural sites. I found several recent posts of nude figurative works on the blog this afternoon and thought I would share them with you. (All illustrations below are courtsey of Blogspot: Peintures Musees de France.)
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Anonymous - Academie d'eleve a l'Ecole de Mars, avec glaive, toge et bonnet phrygien

Arsene Frederic Lebrun - Femme Nue Debout

Benigne Gagneraux (1756-1795) The Genie of the Arts (1789)

Urbain Basset - The Genie of Democracy (1888)

Alois Kasimir (1852-1930) Nude Ephebe, Nude Boy

This morning I managed to pick up a nicely executed mid to late 19th century drawing of a nude youth (directly below) by Alois Kasimir (1852-1930). It has some condition problems, i.e. folds, but nothing that can not be fixed on a vacuum table. Alois Kasimir was an officer in the Imperial and Royal Army who later became a professional painter and amateur photographer. He was a pioneer in the field of etching and lithography. His son, Luigi (Alois Heinrich Kasimir 1881-1905) was an accomplished artist in his own right. Luigi attended the Vienna Academy of Arts between 1900 and 1905 under Heinrich Bank.
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Caption: Nude Study, Nude Youth (Nude Ephebe)
Artist: Alois Kasimir (1852-1930)
Material: Graphite on Paper
Dated: 1870-80

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Here is an additional example of his other works:

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Heinrich Carl Baucke (1875-1915): Barbarian Victor .... The Victorious Boxer (Der Sieger) after 1897

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Heinrich Carl Baucke - Barbarian Victor (After 1897)...... (This example is in the Los Angeles County Art Museum European Painting and Sculpture collection)(37 3/8 in. by 12 11/16 in)

The Victorious Boxer (Die Sieger)

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I just located a medium sized (40cm - 15.75 inch.. 45.5cm with base) edition of Baucke's "The Victorious Boxer" also known as "Barbarian Victor" (edition after 1897....most probably 1905) and have begun negotiations with a German seller to buy it. I have been searching all over the place for an example of that bronze and finally found it for a reasonable price.

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Good news! The seller and I worked out the price and the bronze will be on its way into my collection. The larger versions come up at auction on occasion but they are usually in the much higher price range. I was sitting here a couple of weeks ago searching the Internet gallery sites looking for an example of that beautiful bronze and all of a sudden this one popped up yesterday. I must be living right. I noticed last night that the world did not end as predicted. We all must be living right. It also pays to be persistent when you are looking for a specific artwork and not get discouraged. Here are the pictures of the beauty below:
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Today (May 24, 2011), I was doing an Internet search on Heinrich Baucke and I found an example of this bronze in the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, although, with a completely different title. Also the date of creation (originally thought to be 1910) is listed by the Museum as "after 1897." The title of the bronze in the Museum's European Painting and Sculpture Collection is: "Barbarian Victor." Additional examples of the same bronze sold at auction list the title as: "Victorious Boxer." We have a conundrum. I have made the appropriate corrections above.
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This morning (May 25, 2011) I found some additional biographic information on this well listed German Artist/sculptor: From 1891 to 1900 he studied at the Art Academy under Sculptor Karl Janssen. His first success was this particular bronze (Winner in a Fist Fight), which is now in the collection of the Kunsthalle Dusseldorf and in the National Gallery in Berlin. After his training, he settled in Dusseldorf as a professional sculptor and was very active in the local "Association of Academic Sculptors" who displayed their works in the Rhenish Berlin Sculpture Competition. In 1903 he moved to Berlin, where he received commissions from the Kaiser Wilhelm II court, including a statue of Wilhelm III which is displayed in the garden Terrace of the Berlin Palace.
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Caption: Der Sieger (The Victorious Boxer)(The Winner)(Barbarien Victor)

Artist: Heinrich Carl Baucke (1875-1915)

Material: Bronze Casting

Dated: circa 1905