DOI Heft:
No. 81 (December, 1899)
DOI Artikel:Gronau, Georg: Wilhelm Leibl
DOI Seite / Zitierlink: https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.19783#0187
Wilhelm Leibl
Almost up to the present time naturalistic art have remained almost unknown hitherto, save to
has scored very few successes during this century the few who realise what art is and what it should
in Germany. It was condemned, theoretically, by be. This artist is Wilhelm Leibl, illustrations of
our artists; but in truth they were incapable of whose works are now, through the kindness of
rising to such heights. The sheer artistic meaning Mr. S. Seeger, submitted to the readers of The
of a work was not enough to satisfy them ; in their Studio.
eyes a work of art, especially a picture, must needs Leibl was born in 1844, at Cologne, his father
deal with history, or philosophic thought, or even being the cathedral organist. A portrait of Leibl
tell a mere anecdote. So many anecdotes have -bere, dated 1866, hangs in the public gallery of
probably never before been related in art as during that city. He received his first training at the
the present century ; and not only in Germany, for Munich Academy, his teachers being Piloty and
all countries have sinned equally in this respect. Ramberg. A number of studies of heads by Leibl
Such being, until recent years, the condition of of that period are in existence. They are heads of
things, it may easily be conceived how commanding models, painted with great care, but academical and
is the position of a man who has long chosen subjects rather impersonal. Among them is a female head
affording inexhaustible wealth of anecdote, but at in profile, which betrays peculiar gifts of colour,
the same time has dealt with them legitimately, and is brilliantly painted. Leibl did not stay long
simply, and honestly—an artist with powers such as at the Academy; he took a studio, and painted on
have not been seen since the days of Holbein him- his own account. Thence issued one or two portraits
self. It passes understanding that this man should and a studio scene. Two fellow-artists are lost in
the contemplation of an
art engraving; the figures
stand prominently in the
room, which is full of
atmosphere. The concep-
tion is happy, but it must
be objected to this picture,
as well as to most of the
portraits of that time, that
the artist has unsuccess-
fully endeavoured to repro-
duce the style of the great
Dutch masters. While at
Munich Leibl was refused
a gold medal on the ground
that he was too young, but
he won a medal for a por-
trait exhibited at the Paris
Salon in 1859.
At that time Eugene
Muntz wrote of him in the
Gazette des Beaux Arts :
" M. Leibl, un tout jeune
homme . . . expose plu-
sieurs portraits des plus
interessants. La main est
encore inexperimentee,
mais cette main, on la re-
connait deja de loin; la
science manque, et non le
talent : or le science s'ac-
quiert." This prediction
was brilliantly fulfilled.
• in the kitchen " BY wilhelm leibl ,,,, v
{By permission of S. Seeger, Esq.) The same year (Ibbc,)
164
Almost up to the present time naturalistic art have remained almost unknown hitherto, save to
has scored very few successes during this century the few who realise what art is and what it should
in Germany. It was condemned, theoretically, by be. This artist is Wilhelm Leibl, illustrations of
our artists; but in truth they were incapable of whose works are now, through the kindness of
rising to such heights. The sheer artistic meaning Mr. S. Seeger, submitted to the readers of The
of a work was not enough to satisfy them ; in their Studio.
eyes a work of art, especially a picture, must needs Leibl was born in 1844, at Cologne, his father
deal with history, or philosophic thought, or even being the cathedral organist. A portrait of Leibl
tell a mere anecdote. So many anecdotes have -bere, dated 1866, hangs in the public gallery of
probably never before been related in art as during that city. He received his first training at the
the present century ; and not only in Germany, for Munich Academy, his teachers being Piloty and
all countries have sinned equally in this respect. Ramberg. A number of studies of heads by Leibl
Such being, until recent years, the condition of of that period are in existence. They are heads of
things, it may easily be conceived how commanding models, painted with great care, but academical and
is the position of a man who has long chosen subjects rather impersonal. Among them is a female head
affording inexhaustible wealth of anecdote, but at in profile, which betrays peculiar gifts of colour,
the same time has dealt with them legitimately, and is brilliantly painted. Leibl did not stay long
simply, and honestly—an artist with powers such as at the Academy; he took a studio, and painted on
have not been seen since the days of Holbein him- his own account. Thence issued one or two portraits
self. It passes understanding that this man should and a studio scene. Two fellow-artists are lost in
the contemplation of an
art engraving; the figures
stand prominently in the
room, which is full of
atmosphere. The concep-
tion is happy, but it must
be objected to this picture,
as well as to most of the
portraits of that time, that
the artist has unsuccess-
fully endeavoured to repro-
duce the style of the great
Dutch masters. While at
Munich Leibl was refused
a gold medal on the ground
that he was too young, but
he won a medal for a por-
trait exhibited at the Paris
Salon in 1859.
At that time Eugene
Muntz wrote of him in the
Gazette des Beaux Arts :
" M. Leibl, un tout jeune
homme . . . expose plu-
sieurs portraits des plus
interessants. La main est
encore inexperimentee,
mais cette main, on la re-
connait deja de loin; la
science manque, et non le
talent : or le science s'ac-
quiert." This prediction
was brilliantly fulfilled.
• in the kitchen " BY wilhelm leibl ,,,, v
{By permission of S. Seeger, Esq.) The same year (Ibbc,)
164