Lot 1542 Dα

Michael Neher was educated under Matthias Klotz and Angelo I. Quaglio. After completing his training, he travelled to Italy for six years, where he made numerous sketches of Southern landscapes and everyday scenes, which he continued to use as inspiration for his paintings following his return to Munich in 1825. The Bavarian crown prince called him to Hohenschwangau in 1834, where he collaborated with artists such as Lorenz Quaglio and Albrecht Adam on the fresco decoration of the palace. Following the completion of this commission, Neher increasingly concentrated on depictions of architecture. The present image of Frankfurt cathedral presents an excellent example of this facet of his œuvre.
Neher imbued his city and architectural views with an evocative atmosphere, populating them with detailed figural staffage. The depiction of two men fighting to restrain a rearing bull in the centre of Frankfurt old town, which was destroyed in the 20th century, is a particularly original example. The façade of Frankfurt Cathedral forms an imposing backdrop for the scene. The church was once used for the election and coronation of the Holy Roman Emperors, making it one of the most important buildings in the empire's history.
The Western tower of the cathedral forms the focal point of the present composition. It was begun in the early 15th century, but building works on it were halted around 100 years later, and the unfinished tower was covered with a highly original, steep dome. Neher's work is dated 1860 and depicts the church at this stage construction. Although a desastrous fire just seven years later destroyed much of the Imperial cathedral, it also provided a perfect opportunity for the reconstruction of the western tower after the medieval plans.
Günther Meier will be including the present work in his forthcoming catalogue raisonné of Neher's oeuvre.