Picturesque and the Real
in Daily Life Mm
Carl Spitzweg is a relatively little
endowed with artistic, psychological, or
from the wall to the wooden garret.
known Bavarian painter of the last
sociological sense to analyze his water-
century (1808-1885). Or at least so it
colors.
would appear, for his name, like that of
The chimney of the wood stove is used as a hat hanger for the top hat of the poet. On the wall, under the chimney,
Hector Roesler Franz, another German
a nail holds his coat.
What is most delightful to the ob
painter of the turn of the century, is
server, however, is the contrast between
not mentioned in the celebrated books
the misery and prosaism of the whole
on the history of art.
Nevertheless, the paintings of the
Spitzweg was equally successful in
ambience and the attitude of the poet,
two artists, which have many features
depicting the picturesque scenes of daily life, though the ambiences he painted were quite different from that of Rome.
wrapt in admiration, and oblivious to
in common, are of such a quality as to entitle them to appear in manuals of
who is immersed in his own work,
his surroundings. Thick volumes leaning
ting observation. Roesler specialized in painting scenes typical of the Rome of his time. Be
century Germany.
In the first picture - one of the
against the wall or piled in disorder beside him give the impression of a poet who is absorbed in his work. And in order to give emphasis to attitude of the poet, the painter pluv
artist's most well known and appre
his writing pen in his mouth, because
tween 1870 and 1907, he executed 120 water colors, now exhibited in the
ciated — Spitzweg presents, with a fine sense of irony, the hardships in the life
right one he is counting the metrics of
the history of art. Indeed, few painters have depicted the picturesque in daily life with so much charm and penetra
All of his themes are taken from the
daily life that was typical of the small cities and countryside of nineteenth
his two hands are occupied; with the
Museum of Palazzo Braschl. His works
of a man of letters. Its title, "The Poor
his verses, while the left one holds
became popular in our times, especial ly in the Eternal City, through a series of picture albums and postcards entitled
Poet," expresses very well the idea that the painter wished to convey. The poet lives in a miserable attic without
the paper...
Roma Sparita (The Rome That Has
even a bed, his mattress being simply
Vanished).
stretched out on the floor. Above the
Although he was not an Italian,
head of the poet, which is wrapped in
Roesler successfully depicted with his
a white night cap, an open umbrella
brush aspects of the daily life of Rome
is perched, presumably to protect him
in the last century; and he did it in a lively, fascinating, and even delight ful manner. It is indeed a delight for one
from some uncomfortable leak in the
The second painting, entitled "Art
roof. . .Near the small window, a cloth
and Science," depicts the enchanting square in a small German town. At the
is hanging from a wire that stretches
CRUSADE 23