Blick auf die Rigi

Oswald Achenbach prints glow with the warm light of Italy. In his lifetime Achenbach was counted among the most important landscape painters in Europe, and with his older brother Andreas he was nicknamed one half of "the A and O of landscape". This collection gathers art prints of his views of Naples and Vesuvius, Roman villas and gardens, festivals and processions, and evening light over the Mediterranean coast.

About Oswald Achenbach

Oswald Achenbach was born in Düsseldorf on 2 February 1827, the fifth of ten children. He entered the elementary class of the Düsseldorf Art Academy in 1835, at only eight years old, and stayed until 1841. As a teenager he made long sketching trips through Upper Bavaria and the Tyrol, and in 1845 he traveled to northern Italy with his friend Albert Flamm.

In 1848 he was one of the founders of the Düsseldorf artists' society Malkasten ("Paintbox"), which remained close to his heart all his life. In 1851 he married Julie Arnz, and they had four daughters and a son. He traveled to Italy again and again, and Italian landscapes and village life became his main subjects.

In 1863 he followed Hans Gude as professor of landscape painting at the Düsseldorf Academy, the same year Napoleon III made him a Knight of the Legion of Honour. He taught until 1872 and showed regularly at the Paris Salon. His last big trip to Italy, in 1882, took him to Florence, Rome, Naples and Sorrento. He died in Düsseldorf on 1 February 1905, a day before his 78th birthday.

Style and Subjects

Light is the heart of Achenbach's work. He told his students that the play of light and dark decides a picture's composition, and he built up his colors with the brush, palette knife and even his fingers. His mature paintings are full of golden evening skies, glowing fireworks and moonlight over the sea.

His favorite subjects were Italian landscapes and peasant scenes, which he made more idealized through his lighting: the Bay of Naples with Vesuvius, the gardens of Roman villas such as Villa Borghese, Villa Torlonia and Villa d'Este, hill towns, markets and religious processions.

Famous Works

• Napoli Harbour (1859), Musée d'Orsay, Paris. The busy port of Naples in warm southern light.
• Fireworks in Naples (1875), Hermitage Museum, St Petersburg. Night sky, crowds and the glow of fireworks over the bay.
• In the Park of the Villa Borghese (1886), Museum Kunstpalast, Düsseldorf. Tall pines and shaded paths in one of Rome's great gardens.
• Constantine's Triumphal Arch in Rome (1886), Alte Nationalgalerie, Berlin. The ancient arch in the late afternoon sun.
• Market Day in an Italian Town (1887), Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam. A crowded market square full of everyday life.
• Villa d'Este (1892), Hungarian National Gallery, Budapest. The famous garden at Tivoli, near Rome.

Decorating with Achenbach Prints

Achenbach's golden Italian evenings make a living room or dining room feel warm and welcoming. The deep ambers, ochres and blues of his Naples views look rich against dark green, navy or warm white walls, and pair well with gilt or dark wood frames.

The villa gardens and park scenes suit a hallway, study or bedroom, where their shady paths and fountains feel calm and inviting. A pair of Neapolitan coastal views also works well over a sideboard or console table.

FAQ

What art movement was Oswald Achenbach part of?

Achenbach belonged to the Düsseldorf school of painting, centered on the Düsseldorf Art Academy, where he later taught landscape painting.

What is Oswald Achenbach's most famous painting?

He is best known for his glowing views of Naples and Rome, such as Fireworks in Naples (1875) in the Hermitage and In the Park of the Villa Borghese (1886) in the Museum Kunstpalast, Düsseldorf.

Where can I see Achenbach's original paintings?

The Museum Kunstpalast in Düsseldorf and the Alte Nationalgalerie in Berlin hold major works. Others are at the Musée d'Orsay, the Hermitage, the Rijksmuseum and the Hungarian National Gallery.

How can you recognize an Oswald Achenbach painting?

Look for Italian scenes bathed in golden evening light, strong contrasts of light and shadow, and lively groups of people in villages, markets or gardens.

Who was Andreas Achenbach?

Andreas was Oswald's brother, twelve years older and also one of the leading German landscape painters of the 19th century. Andreas often painted northern seas and coasts, while Oswald became known for Italy.

Related Artists

• Andreas Achenbach — his older brother and first teacher, also a leading Düsseldorf landscape painter
• Albert Flamm — friend and later student who traveled with him to Italy in 1845
• Johann Wilhelm Schirmer — Düsseldorf landscape painter whose influence shows in his early work
• Arnold Böcklin — studied landscape at Düsseldorf in the same years and also drew on Italy