작품 상세

Signed lower right: Osw. AchenbachWith a label to the reverse of the strechter inscribed in old handwriting: "The Convent of Valombrosa by Oswald Achenbach" and "Das Benedictinerkloster in Vallombrosa?". In a finely carved antique frame.Together with his elder brother Andreas, Oswald Achenbach was one of the most influential German painters of the late 19th century. Throughout his entire life, the painter dedicated himself to depicting Italian cities and landscapes. Of his seven visits to Italy, the second trip, taken together with Albert Flamm and his fellow students in the summer of 1850, was probably the most influential for his later works. Like generations of German artists before him, Achenbach recorded his impressions of Italy in numerous studies, sketches and drawings which were to shape his mental image of the country and choice of motifs in the future. The present work - a perfect example of Achenbach's vision of an idyllic Mediterranean landscape - can be tentatively dated to around 1850. The sun-drenched paths, the tall trees framing the image and leading our gaze into the distance, the medieval architecture and the two monks in quiet conversation all combine to present an image of a peaceful, untouched rural Italy.