Lot 1528 Dα

Carl Spitzweg has left us with a significant oeuvre of oil sketches, which have not yet been fully recorded by research. The sketches were made during his many rambles through the countryside which he partook of either alone or accompanied by his friend the artist Eduard Schleich. The present work is one of these open-air paintings. The way he picks out details of the landscape, such as the geological layers of stone or the tree roots, illustrates Spitzweg's unique manner of extracting motifs from their original context. Comparable works include “Blick von Fischbachau auf die Schlierberge“ (Schäfer collection), “Bergwerkstollen in der Nähe von Iffeldorf“ (private ownership), “Felsblöcke in einem Wildbachbett“ (private ownership) and especially the colour study “Via Mala“ (Grafenau, Dätzingen palace). (Illus.: S. Wichmann: Zeichnungen und Skizzen, Munich 1985).