(b 1848; d 1904) Bauernfeind was born in the town of Sulz-am-Neckar in Baden-Württemberg, southern Germany. His education gave no indication that he would become one of the most accomplished artists of his era. He had graduated from the Stuttgart Polytechnic Institute and joined an architectural firm. After an initial start at the office of Professor Wilhelm Baumer, he was employed by Adolf Gnauth who was not only an architect, but also a moderately gifted painter. It was during his time in the employment of Gnauth that Bauernfeind transformed from architect to artist. When traveling to Italy for a project for Gnauth's firm in 1873 and 1874, Bauernfeind refined his artistic skills, executing with meticulous verisimilitude the architecture and nature of his surroundings. Although his attention to detail was remarkable, his work found few interested buyers due to the rather mundane subject matter. He was advised to find a subject matter more 'en vogue' and, very much aware of the financial opportunities awaiting a painter of Orientalist subjects, he looked to the East as his new source of inspiration. This marked a turning point in his career: a fundamentally different and exotic culture in which to study the sun, the light, the characters, customs and religious attitudes. After his first visit to Jaffa and Jerusalem in 1880-81, he traveled widely in the Middle East, particularly to the Holy Land and Damascus, eventually settling in Jerusalem where he died in 1904. (credit: Christie’s catalogue of 19th Century European Art including Orientalist and Spanish Art, July 2, 2008, Lot 28)
Gustav Bauernfeind Sulz 1848 - 1904 Jerusalem At the Dome of the Rock, Jerusalem signed and dated lower left: G. Bauernfeind M 95, further inscribed lower right: Jerusalem oil on panel panel: 12 ¾ by 16 in.; 32 by 40.6 cm framed: 18 by 21 ½ in.; 45.7 by 54.6 cm
Property From a West Coast Jewish Institution Gustav Bauernfeind Sulz 1848 - 1904 Jerusalem The Western Wall signed and inscribed lower left: G. Bauernfeind / Jerusalem oil on canvas canvas: 50 by 38 ⅞ in.; 127 by 98.7 cm framed: 57 ½ by 46 ½ in.; 146 by 116.8 cm
Attributed: Gustav Bauernfeind (1848 – 1904) Market Street Scene Medium: Oil on canvas. Signed and dated 1887 Provenance: Naima Najd collection 43.25 x 53.5 in. (110 x 136.1 cm.)
BAUERNFEIND, GUSTAV 1848 Sulz - 1904 Jerusalem Title: Under the Dome of San Marco in Venice. Technique: Oil on canvas. Measurement: 62,5 x 53cm. Notation: Signed and dated lower right: G. Bauernfeind 1881. Frame: Framed. Provenance: Private collection Poland. Gustav Bauernfeind, who is known to us today primarily as an Orientalist, gained his first experience as a painter and illustrator in Italy. For a long time, as a trained architect, he doubted whether he should continue working as a painter. He made numerous architectural sketches on his travels from 1873 onwards. In 1877 he undertook a purposeful journey to Venice and Chioggia with artist friends. It was here and subsequently in his studio that he produced his first oil paintings. This painting shows one of the first attempts at a large-scale detailed architectural depiction. The idea for this was already formed in 1877, following the third journey. Sketches of the journeys, which are now in the Architekturmuseum in Munich, show this (inventory no. 1988/364 and 1988/23). It was not until1881 that he started working on the picture again in his Munich studio. Now, however, Bauernfeind had lost some of his interest in Italian views. The new impressions of his first trip to the Orient begin to gain the upper hand. During this period he was already planning the next trip to the Orient. Therefore this work is no longer fully executed, but left in a somewhat sketchy state, signed and dated. From 1882 onwards he only created Oriental motifs. This picture marks a turning point in Bauernfeind's career. It is one of the last European motifs. We are grateful to Petra Versteegh, Rekem, who has confirmed the authenticity of the present painting on the original. Explanations to the Catalogue
Gustav Bauernfeind (German, 1848-1904) Jerusalem from the Mount of Olives at Sunrise signed and inscribed 'G. Bauernfeind/Jerusalem' (lower right) oil on canvas 51 ¼ x 78 ¾ in. (130.2 x 200 cm.) …
Signed and dated lower left: G. Bauernfeind Jerusalem 81 Adhesive label to verso of panel: “ P. Kaeser's / Kunsthandlung / München / 5. Briennerstrasse 5. No. 33” Our painting by the significant German Orient painter Gustav Bauernfeind depicts the portal of the madrasah Dar al Sha'bani, a Qur'an school in Jerusalem. The dating places the painting in the period of the artist's first trip to the Orient from 1880 to 1882 and thus belongs to Bauernfeind's earliest works with an oriental motif. As a result of the lasting impressions of his first trip, the artist thereafter turned almost exclusively to this theme. He undertook further trips to the Orient and finally moved to Palestine in 1896. Our view shows a woman in front of the colourful wall of the Qur'an school with an amphora in one hand and a coin in the other. A female seller sits with her wares in front of the steps, and a beggar opposite. An only slightly different version of this composition is illustrated in Petra S. Kühner: Gustav Bauernfeind. Gemälde und Aquarelle (=Monographien zur Bildenden Kunst 5), Frankfurt am Main et al. 1996, p. 213, no. 22, ill. 9. The motif of the portal of Dar al Sha'bani is also seen in a watercolour by Bauernfeind, in the Staatlichen Graphischen Sammlung München (inv.no. 1907:308). We would like to thank Dr Petra Versteegh-Kühner, Rekem, for the confirmation of the authorship of this work based on digital photographs.
Gustav Bauernfeind (1848 -1904)- attributed, large view of a croatian port, possibly Split.With fisherboats and fishers, waiting for the catch of the day. Oil on canvas, signed (hardly readable) and dated bottom left. On the reverse old paper labels. In original gilded and open work frame.
Gustav Bauernfeind 1848-1904 (German) Jerusalem landscape oil on cardboard h:23 w: 18 cm. signed lower right Provenance: Sale: Christie''s London, December 2, 2004, lot 246. Private European collection. Other Notes: Location: Israel. For estimated delivery time please contact us.
Gustav Bauernfeind (German, 1848-1904) King David Street, Jerusalem pen and black ink, watercolour and bodycolour on paper 11 ¾ x 15 ½ in. (29.8 x 39.4 cm.)
Gustav Bauernfeind 1848-1904 (German) Jerusalem landscape oil on cardboard h:23 w: 18 cm. signed lower right Provenance: Sale: Christie's London, December 2, 2004, lot 246. Private European collection. Other Notes: Location: Israel. For estimated delivery time please contact us.
Gustav Bauernfeind (German, 1848-1904), Figures by the Wailing Wall, watercolor on panel, signed lower left, sight: 15"h x 10.5"w, overall (with frame): 22.25"h x 18.25"w
Schmid, H. (ed.). Der Orientmaler Gustav Bauernfeind 1848-1904. Leben und Werk. Introd. A. Carmel. Stuttgart, E. Hauswedell & Co., 1990, XII,368p., 175 col. plates, ills., German/ English text, orig. boards w. dustwr., folio. Bacou, R. Odilon Redon. Pastels. Engl. transl. B. Rehl. London, Thames and Hudson, 1987, 1st ed., 189,(1)p., col. ills., orig. cl. w. dustwr., folio. - AND 2 others, both on the Nabis artists group.
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Gustav Bauernfeind 1848-1904 (German) Jerusalem landscape oil on cardboard h:23 w: 18 cm. signed lower right Provenance: Sale: Christie's London, December 2, 2004, lot 246. Private European collection.
Gustav Bauernfeind 1848-1904 (German) Jerusalem landscape oil on cardboard h:23 w: 18 cm. signed lower right Provenance: Sale: Christie's London, December 2, 2004, lot 246. Private European collection.
Gustav Bauernfeind 1848-1904 (German) The Wailing Wall, Jerusalem, c. 1904 watercolor on paper h:60 w:45 cm. inscribed 'Jerusalem' lower right Provenance: Private collection , Morocco. Private European collection. Exhibited: Chagall and the Circle of Jewish Painters of the 20th Century, Wally Findlay Galleries, Palm Beach, December 2012 - January 2013 (illustrated in the exhibition catalogue pp. 56-57 ). Other Notes: This work belongs to a series of paitings which included four large-format oils on the same subject.
Gustav Bauernfeind 1848-1904 (German) Jerusalem landscape oil on cardboard h:23 w:18 cm. signed lower right Provenance: Sale: Christie's London, December 2, 2004, lot 246. Private European collection.
Copy after BAUERNFEIND, GUSTAV (Sulz am Neckar 1848 - 1904 Jerusalem) People praying at the Wailing Wall. Oil on canvas. 76 x 50.7 cm. BAUERNFEIND, GUSTAV (KOPIE NACH) (Sulz am Neckar 1848 - 1904 Jerusalem) Betende an der Klagemauer. Öl auf Leinwand. 76 x 50,7 cm.
Gustav Bauernfeind 1848-1904 (German) The Wailing Wall, Jerusalem, c. 1904 watercolor on paper h:60 w:45 cm. inscribed 'Jerusalem' lower right Provenance: Private collection , Morocco Private collection Sale: Christie's, 19th century European art, including orientalist art. Other Notes: This sheet belongs to a series of works that included four large-format oils on the same subject.
Gustav Bauernfeind 1848-1904 (German) Jerusalem landscape oil on cardboard h:23 w: 18 cm. signed lower right Provenance: Sale: Christie's South Kensington: December 02, 2004, Lot 246 Private collection.
GUSTAV BAUERNFEIND (SULZ AM NECKAR 1848-1904 ?) Le mur des lamentations, Jérusalem situé 'Jerusalem' (en bas à droite) aquarelle sur papier 60 x 45,5 cm. (23 5/8 x 17 7/8 in.) Peint vers 1904.
Gustav Bauernfeind (German, 1848-1904) The Wailing Wall, Jerusalem inscribed 'Jerusalem' (lower right) watercolour on paper 23 5/8 x 17 7/8 in. (60 x 45.5 cm.) Executed circa 1904.
Gustav Bauernfeind (German, 1848-1904) An Arab girl inscribed with title (upper right) and signed and dated 'G. Bauernfeind. 1898' (lower left) pencil and watercolour on paper 5¾ x 5 in. (14.6 x 12.7 cm.)
Bauernfeind, Gustav - zugeschrieben-Eingang zum Tempelberg-(Sulz 1848-1904 Jerusalem) Vielfigurige Szene mit Durchblick auf den Felsendom. Öl/Lwd. Rechts unten bez. mit Ortsbez. "München". 68,5 x 55,5 cm. - Lit. Thieme/Becker 3, Saur AKL 7. Bauernfeind gilt als bedeutendster deutscher Orientmaler. Nach Reisen durch den Nahen Osten ließ er sich 1896 in Jerusalem nieder und fertigte Architektur- und Genreszenen, die sich durch eine exakte Malweise auszeichnen. Der Eingang zum Tempelbezirk kommt in Bauernfeinds Oeuvre als Motiv mehrfach vor. Anhand bestimmter, wiederkehrender Figurentypen thematisiert er darin den Konflikt zwischen Juden und Moslems am Tempelberg. - Lit. Kühner: Gustav Bauernfeind. Gemälde und Aquarelle, S. 212f.
Gustav Bauernfeind (German, 1848-1904) A horseman by a Jerusalem Gate signed 'G. Bauernfeind.' (lower left) pencil and watercolour on paper 18 x 22 in. (45.7 x 55.9 cm.)
Gustav Bauernfeind (German, 1848-1904) David street, Jerusalem signed, inscribed and dated 'Jerusalem G. Bauernfeind. 1887' (lower right) oil on canvas 51 x 35½ in. (129.5 x 90.2 cm.) Painted in 1887.
Gustav Bauernfeind (German, 1848-1904) The Gate of the Great Umayyad Mosque, Damascus signed, inscribed and dated 'G. Bauernfeind/Damaskus/München 1890.' (lower right) oil on panel 47 5/8 x 38 in. (121 x 96.5 cm.) Painted in Munich, 1890.
*GUSTAV BAUERNFEIND GERMAN, 1848-1904 AT THE WAILING WALL oil on canvas 24 1/2 by 40in. 62.2 by 101.6cm. EXHIBITED Bauernfeindmuseum, Baden-Wurttemberg, Germany 1989-1999 LITERATURE A. Carmel, trans. T. Gorelick, The Life and Work of Gustav Bauernfeind, Orientalist Painter, 1848-1904, Stuttgart, 1990, No. 133, illustrated
The Wailing Wall, Jerusalem signed and inscribed 'G. Bauernfeind Jerusalem' (lower left) and inscribed 'Die Steine Salomo's.'(lower right) oil on canvas 761/4 x 381/2 in. (193.5 x 98 cm.) Painted in 1904 PROVENANCE The artist's estate. Thence by decent to the artist's great-niece. Anon. sale, Sotheby's, London, 21 June 1983, lot 25. Anon. sale, Sotheby's, London, 17 November 1993, lot 127. Acquired from the above sale by the present owner. LITERATURE L. Thornton, Les Orientalists, Peintres Voyageurs 1828-1908, Paris, 1983, pp. 200-1 (illustrated). H. Schmid, Der Orientmaler Gustav Bauernfeind 1848-1904, Stuttgart, 1990, pl. 175. E. Gnther, Die Faszination des Fremden der Malerische Orientalistmus in Deutschland, unpublished Ph.D thesis, University of Westfalen, Mnster, 1990, pl. 31. P. Khner, Gustav Baurenfeind, Gem„lde und Aquarelle, Frankfurt am Main, 1995, p. 233, no. 69 (illustrated). EXHIBITION Munich, Galerie Heinemann, no. 7737. London, National Gallery of Art and Washington, National Gallery of Art, The Orientalists: Delacroix to Matisse, March-October 1984, p. 114, no. 2 (illustrated). NOTES Greatly admired as one of Gustav Bauernfeind's largest and most notable canvases, the present work belongs to a series of large-scale oils of the same subject that would be the artistic centerpiece of the artist's late career. Completed in 1904, it is thought to be the artist's last oil painting before his death in December of the same year, consequently the same month it was exhibited at Heinmann's gallery in Munich. Two other versions include a slightly smaller yet almost identical composition, as well as a more unfinished oil that displays different figural groupings. In what is classified as his 'fourth Oriental journey', the years 1896-1904 found Bauernfeind resident in Palestine, an enigmatic and multi-faceted land where the artist would spend the rest of his life. From his first trip to Palestine in 1880, Bauernfeind was captivated by the Holy City with its architectural monuments and diverse human types. Even though he was regarded neither as a member of the Evangelical Church nor the Society of Templars, he held a fascination for prayer customs among a variety of religious sects. His earliest depiction of Jews at a holy site is At the Entrance to the Temple Mount (Private Collection) painted during his second journey to the Middle East. The Western Wall, also known as The Wailing Wall in the Old City of Jerusalem, is the only remaining stretch of the western side of the stone platform on which stood the Temple of Solomon. Throughout the centuries, the chants and prayers of pilgrims towards the wall evokes the capture of the city by the Romans and the destruction of the Temple in 70 A.D.. The wall itself dates from the Second Century B.C., though its upper sections were added at a later date. Many artists before Bauernfeind found the wall an inspiring subject. Jean-L‚on G‚r“me first visited Jerusalem in 1862 and fourteen years later immortalized the subject in his masterpiece Solomon's Wall, Jerusalem (fig. 1) (sold Christie's, New York, 6 May 1999, lot 4). In these later years, Bauernfeind was plagued by bad health, so much so that his wife Elise took over the writing of his daily entries. She diligently documents her husband's almost daily expeditions to the holy site to make sketches which he used to work up the final composition in his studio. They were later discovered in the attic of the artist's home after his death in one of his many skizzenbuchs that he carried around during his travels. While many details of the site are documentary, such as the size and the color of the stone as well as the height of the wall, the ancient Hebrew characters carved into the stones are not true to the monument itself but were most likely added as a decorative flourish. (fig. 1) Jean-L‚on G‚r“me, Solomon's Wall, Jerusalem, Christie's, New York, Private Collection.
Warden of the Mosque, Damascus signed, inscribed and dated 'G. Bauernfeind Mnchen 1891 Damaskus' (lower left) oil on panel 43 x 33 in. (109.2 x 83.8 cm) Painted in 1891 PROVENANCE McLean & Co., London, 1891 (commissioned from the artist by Arthur Sulley). Anon. sale, Sotheby's, London, 28 November 1979, lot 50. The Fine Art Society, Ltd., London (acquired at the above sale). Acquired from the above sale by the present owner, 1979. LITERATURE L. Thornton, The Orientalists, Painter-Travellers 1828-1908, Paris, 1983, p. 198 (illustrated). A. Carmel and H. Schmid, The Life and Work of Gustav Bauernfeind, Orientalist Painter, Stuttgart, 1990, pl. 160 (illustrated). P. Khner, Gustav Bauernfeind - Gem„lde und Aquarelle, Peter Lang, Frankfurt am Main, 1995, p. 218 (illustrated). H. Schmid, ed., Gustav Bauernfeind: Die Reise nach Damascus 1888/1889, Tbingen and Basel, 1996, p. 107 (illustrated). EXHIBITION (Probably) London, McLean, 1891. NOTES Another distinguished edifice in Damascus is the Sinan Pasha Mosque (figs. 1 and 2) set near the Midhat-Pasha Street. Although not a challenger to the Ummayad Mosque in its magnitude or grandiosity, the Sinan Pasha Mosque is discussed in 19th Century travel guides as the second most significant religious structure in the city. Its importance and its recognition are based on the accomplishments of its architect rather than its sheer mass. Sinan the Architect, otherwise known as Mimar Sinan by the Turks, was born a Catholic in the early 16th Century in a village near the city of Kayseri in central Anatolia. Although he is thought to be of Greek origin, the first records of him are from his enrollment in the Janissary Corps circa 1512. This was an elite unit of the Ottoman army whose members at the time were all gathered from Christian families and converted to Islam with a primary mission to serve and protect the Sultan. During his service in the Janissary Corps, Sinan was initially taught the trade of carpentry in which he rapidly excelled and was soon promoted to military engineer, overseeing the building of fortifications, ships and bridges. In 1538 Sinan was appointed "the chief of the imperial architects to the Ottoman court and served three sultans in the course of half a century before his death in 1588. His work epitomizes the Ottoman Empire at its apogee and his artistic achievements crown the magnificence of that realm" (D. Kuban and A. Ertug, Sinan, An Architectural Genius, Bern, 1999, p. 17). Going even a step further Henry Matthews from the Washington State University School of Architecture compares Sinan with Italian architects such as Brunelleschi and Michelangelo for his equally bold experiments with domed structures and vast interior spaces. During his role as the chief imperial architect, Sinan worked on, oversaw and planned together with an army of architects that served under him approximate 400 buildings of which about 100 alone are mosques. The Sinan Pasha Mosque in Damascus is widely accepted as a structure planned by Sinan yet it is clear that a trusted student must have executed the project as the completion date of the mosque in 1590 is two years after Sinan's death. The earliest records of Bauernfeind sketching this structure date to Friday 29 January 1889 when he noted working on its minaret from a distance. But the foundations of the present composition were laid down almost by accident on 9 April 1889 and Bauernfeind kept a detailed recording of this day in his diary. Bauernfeind left his hotel around 11 a.m. with his photograph machine and took about 7 pictures whilst walking through the streets of Damascus. He stumbled upon an open side entry of a smaller mosque that led into its courtyard. A seated warden in a blue tunic wearing a large turban in this entrance way was engrossed in reading at which time Bauernfeind decided swiftly to make this the subject of his 8th photograph of the day. In the afternoon he returned to the same location, this time accompanied by his Muslim translator Karam, in order to draw the portal but much to their disappointment and frustration, the crowd shut the door tight upon noticing the artist's attempt to paint the mosque. Feeling bolder than usual, Karam initiated a back and forth of pushing the door open only for the crowds to shut it again, a struggle that shortly ended with a dislocated door and an extremely upset crowd. Bauernfeind was asked to have the door repaired at once and by 5:00 p.m. not only was the door fixed but he also had a chance to make an initial study drawing as well as get acquainted with the warden of the mosque. From this day on Bauernfeind would spend his mornings sketching the portal at a cost of roughly 6 Piasters a day, the running rate for bribing the warden and acquiring an unofficial on-site painting permit. In the upcoming days Bauernfeind noted that there were some understanding people amongst the Muslims as complimentary comments were made about his painting. For them, the prospect of these watercolors someday reaching Paris was particularly exciting, because the inhabitants of Damascus strongly believed that no other city possessed splendor and magnificence like their own. In the catalogue for the Annual Winter Exhibition, McLean published an extract from a letter by Bauernfeind describing his finished oil titled Warden of the Mosque . "Between the various stalls of a covered bazaar street whose mythical twilight is more favorable for the seller than the buyer, there opens out a small side entrance of a mosque, inviting the faithful to its luminous court and playing fountain. The muezzin has called the hour of prayer, and some people followed the call. They put their shoes, weapons, and other burdens under the care of the warden. The red top-boots and easy sandals which are worn in the interior of Arabia as well as the long guns and divers arms ( yataghan, carbine, etc.), show us that some Bedouins have made use of their stay in town to pray at the shrine of a hero of Yore. Some two or three inhabitants of the neighborhood of Damascus, in their many-colored cloaks, divested themselves at the threshold of their clumsy shoes, whilst a seller of lemonade has set down his glass jar on a bench; a lemon is stuck on the peculiar brass mouthpiece of the former. On a platter we see some flat bread cakes strewn with sesame and rings; also plums, whose home is said to be Damascus. The owner of these goodies has a little portable table, which is now standing near the wing of the door. A black scholar squats on the floor, near the entrance, zealously reading the Koran whilst his hands play with a rosary. His many-colored coat is ornamented with holy writings. At the fountain a belated dervish is just beginning his ablutions. The niche for prayer is at the right hand of the marble pillar, whilst to the left is the grave of the saint, with his weapons, his large rosary, tambourine and the horn of an ibex. All these implements are carried about in procession to the diverse graves of the saints. A leader in prayer stands high up, whilst behind him the devout follow him at various paces of quickness. The lanterns consist from a frame work of wood or metal, from which one or more glasses are suspended; these contain water and oil to feed the wick" (Khner, op. cit., p. 218). It is evident that Bauernfeind, mainly due to his education as an architect, pays tremendous attention to structural detail. Nevertheless, it is also detectable, particularly in light of the above excerpt that he also observed the people closely and aimed to capture their spirit. Bauernfeind's method of building up a composition is quite similar to present day animation techniques: first a background is established which will set the general mood for the scene, later the figures will be placed onto this stage to act their roles. Both stages of development are equally important for the success of the final product. A watercolor study for the present work (fig. 3) is an intense and powerful depiction of bright rays of sun juxtaposed against shadows and large, powerful walls, but its lack of human figures is almost haunting. It feels like an ancient and abandoned ruin or more like a theater stage. At this level of compositional structuring Bauernfeind chose to test the validity of his selected setting as well as the potential viewpoints. The background once firmly established, he would insert the figures. On the surface a seemingly easy task with underlying complexities: all of the painting's autonomous motifs are based on reality, yet have been compositionally pulled together in one man's fantasy. We know from his diaries that Bauernfeind had worked diligently on documenting the local people from their costumes to their body language. He would often pay passersby to pose for drawings or photographs and once in his studio, he would carefully reconstruct scenes that best described the mood and lifestyles of the locals that he had so carefully observed. (fig. 1) Contemporary photograph of Sinan Pasha Mosque in Damascus, Courtesy New York Public Libary. (fig. 2) Contemporary photograph of the courtyard of the Sinan Pasha Mosque in Damascus, Courtesy New York Public Library. (fig. 3) Gustav Bauernfeind, Eingang zur Sinanije-Moschee in Damaskus, Munich, Staatliche Graphische Sammlung.
