Lot 1165 | Winter Evening with Shepherd and his Flock at the Edge of the Forest

ZÜGEL, HEINRICH VON
1850 Murrhardt - 1941 Munich


Title: Winter Evening with Shepherd and his Flock at the Edge of the Forest.
Technique: Oil on canvas.
Mounting: Relined.
Measurement: 64 x 99cm.
Notation: Signed and dated lower right: H. Zügel München 80.
Frame/Pedestal: Framed.
Provenance:
Private ownership, Germany.

Alongside Lovis Corinth, Max Liebermann and Max Slevogt, Heinrich von Zügel is one of the most important German Impressionists. His conception of light coupled with his deep attachment to rural life contributed significantly to the revolutionisation of German painting at the turn of the century. He succeeded above all in bringing the genre of animal painting out of its shadow. As the son of a shepherd and having grown up surrounded by animals, Heinrich von Zügel light-heartedly transferred to canvas the work processes with which he was familiar, such as "sheep shearing", "sheep market" or "sheep washing". For the latter he was awarded the great gold medal at the World Exhibition in Vienna in 1883. The painting before us, which shows a shepherd with his flock at the edge of a forest, also dates from this period (lot 1165). In the background, the low-lying moon shines through the branches of the trees and is reflected by the snow at the edges of the picture. In the foreground, the sheep stand directionless on the already muddy brownish path, showing off their thick coats from every possible angle. At first glance, the unbelievably tactile rendering of the animal fur is made up of individual small dabs of brush and stands out clearly from the softly drawn rendering of the shepherd and his surroundings. The meticulousness with which Heinrich von Zügel devoted himself to the animals in the early days of his promising career was to slowly dissolve over time. Piece by piece, animal and environment merged into one. The relevance of light became more and more important. This development was to become apparent early on in the drawings and can be traced very well in the present charcoal works (lot 1166). While the artist's handwriting became much looser and softer, von Zügel made his executions more concise and insistent. Meanwhile, the play of light and shadow gained in intensity. Despite the sketchy execution of the animals, the artist created an impressive pictorial depth and energy of movement.