Thursday, October 14, 2010

A teacher from the Dusseldorf Academy

I believe I will go on a short tangent tonight. These are the works of Hans Gude 1825- 1903. Hans was a respected teacher at the Dusseldorf Academy. For almost fifty years Gude was a respected teacher at various art academies around Germany. He is best known for mentoring young Norwegian painters but I suppose he influenced young Americans as well.

Gude was a Norwegian himself and not a German, but he became the professor of landscape painting at the Academy at Dusseldorf. However he was a teacher at the Academy beginning in the early 1840's. The paintings on this page are later than that, but they look a lot like American luminist painting, on which he must have been an influence.

Below is a Sanford Gifford that looks similar to the Gudes.

Here is a Kensett that looks similar.

Gude also worked from sketches outdoors and encouraged his students to do so. He moved on from Dusseldorf and taught in other academies, ultimately moving to Berlin. At the end of his career Paris had eclipsed the German academicians.

8 comments:

Unknown said...

These are beautiful. Just watched that Scott Burdick presentation and am still moved by so much great, great art. I recall that you have said art has no reason to exist other than it be good.. and beauty is an inherent quality of "good", at least in my opinion.
I have to say, after viewing such lovely, moving works, I want to go have a bonfire of everything in my studio. But instead, I just ordered more canvas, and a book on Bouguereau...

Philip Koch said...

Thanks for the post on Hans Gude. I didn't know him or his work, but he's very good. And the parallels with American luminist painters is well taken. I especially like the third image of Gude's, the one you compare to the Sanford Gifford.

billspaintingmn said...

I have to say, all theses posts have lite a bon fire inside me. I watched the Scott Burdick presentation, along with Matts comments about that.
It almost seems like a civil war in the arts, or the current political battles on tv.(kinda stupid~ my opinion!)
It's a war between the head and the heart in think.
If folks can be a little more honest when they approch the canvas
and viewers can be open to new things, most this fuss would stop fogging up the place.
But then there are those that just like to cause trouble.
bottom line it's greed and power.

Stapleton Kearns said...

Deb;
Make sure you get some of that Lefranc paint for those Bouguereau's
.................Stape

Stapleton Kearns said...

Philip:
I thought I would get obscure.
..........Stape

Stapleton Kearns said...

Bill:
It is a guerrilla war against the art sponsored by the state institutions and the elites in the museum trade. The American people generally apy no attention to avant garde painting.
....................Stape

Faith said...

About your comment, Mr. Kearns: "Make sure you get some of that Lefranc paint for those Bouguereau's"

Lefranc paints are best for making Bouguereau copies? I am curious because I use mostly Lefranc.

Stapleton Kearns said...

Faith;
I think they would be a good choice, yes.
......................Stape