Lot 1580 Dα

Hand-inscribed to the back of the stretcher: "Am Ufer Alexander Koester München Leopldstr 135 a"
Alexander Koester became hard of hearing and blind on one eye following a bought of tuberculosis, and began studying at the art academy in Karlsruhe after completing his training as a pharmacist in 1885. He began his career with genre paintings, using broad, pastose brushwork in the manner of Defregger and Uhde. He began painting waterfowl, especially ducks, around 1900 and this gained him the nickname “Duck Koester”.
Alexander Koester devoted over three decades to the depiction of ducks in their natural habitat. He was not only fascinated by the animals' movement and behaviour, but also by the texture of their feathers and the shimmering of light on the water. His pictures of ducks, with their masterful use of light and colour, were highly valued throughout the artist's lifetime and are still sought after today. The present work shows a dozen birds swimming across a reedy pond towards the land.