Lot 176 Dα

Carl (Wilhelm Christian) Malchin first worked as an engineer before receiving a stipend from the Grand Duke of Mecklenburg in 1873 allowing him to study at the art college in Weimar. He became a restorer at the Grand Duke's painting collection in 1879, but later dedicated himself entirely to painting. Most of his motifs are drawn from the towns and countryside around his home of Mecklenburg.
This large landscape work depicts a horse and cart plodding along a sandy path in the sunshine. The right half of the image is dominated by a large windmill, whereas the left half opens onto a view of the residential city of Schwerin, seen in the distance on the banks of the lake. Kornelia von Berswordt-Wallrabe noticed that Malchin referred to several earlier sketches for this painting. One of these sheets is inscribed “Weg bei Schwerin” (path near Schwerin) and depicts the imposing post mill. Another, dated 1876, shows the characteristic silhouette of Schwerin slightly closer up.