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The glowing deep blue sky lends the painterly opulence of this hillside meadow and trees an air of unreality, and it is only on closer observation that we see that the couple with a lute in the grass are wearing Renaissance clothing: thus the painting is clearly more than a mere portrayal of nature. The dancing cupids in the sky, which may at first pass for clouds, add to the dream-like quality of the picture. Böcklin’s influence is particularly evident here, although more for his use of colour than for his mythological motifs.

Details

  • Title: Summer
  • Creator: Hans Thoma
  • Date Created: 1872
  • Physical Dimensions: w104.0 x h76.0 cm
  • Type: Painting
  • Technique and material: Oil on canvas
  • Inv.-No.: A II 510
  • ISIL-No.: DE-MUS-815114
  • External link: Alte Nationalgalerie, Staatliche Museen zu Berlin
  • Copyrights: Text: © Prestel Verlag / Alte Nationalgalerie, Staatliche Museen zu Berlin, Photo: © b p k - Photo Agency / Nationalgalerie, Staatliche Museen zu Berlin / Jörg P. Anders
  • Collection: Nationalgalerie, Staatliche Museen zu Berlin
  • Artist biography: Hans Thoma was a German painter. He entered the Karlsruhe Academy in 1859 and was an apprentice to Schirmer and Des Coudres. He later studied and worked in Düsseldorf, Paris, Munich and Frankfurt as well as in Italy. Thoma was impressed by early German masters like Cranach who influenced his artistic style. His artworks are also characterized by the impact of the Pre-Raphaelites. This is demonstrated in his love of detail, especially in depictions of nature, his precise drawing of outline and fascination for colouring. Apart from his paintings he also created a number of lithographs, pen drawings and mural paintings. He is known for compositions like 'Sunflowers' (1882) and 'Glade' (1876).
  • Artist Place of Death: Karlsruhe, Germany
  • Artist Place of Birth: Bernau im Schwarzwald, Germany
  • Artist Dates: 1839-10-02/1924-11-07

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