Lot 64 Dα

He was actually supposed to become a merchant in Opole, then known as Opole. Instead, Wilhelm Kuhnert was first drawn to Berlin to attend the Academy of Fine Arts, then travelled the world. His travels took him to Northern Europe and India, among other places, but he was particularly fond of Africa. Here he was able to observe the majestic animals in the wild, which in Europe were increasingly becoming the subject of both scientific research and widespread public interest. Precise depictions of lions, tigers and elephants became increasingly important in this context, and corresponding publications became more and more popular. As one of the best animal painters of the time, Wilhelm Kuhnert proved to be a pioneer in this field. ‘Das Tierleben der Erde’ was published in 1901, edited by Wilhelm Haacke and illustrated with Kuhnert's works. Even more successful than ‘Haacke-Kuhnert’ was ‘Brehms Tierleben’. This major work also featured illustrations by the most important animal painter of his time: Wilhelm Kuhnert.
In addition to the scientifically precise depiction of the animals, Kuhnert also used the landscape as his habitat, which merges with the lions, tigers and elephants in his paintings to form an artistic whole. On his four trips to East Africa, he was the first to observe and paint the animals of Africa in their natural habitat. The promise of freedom, of which the view of the vast savannahs of the continent, largely unknown to his contemporaries and therefore mysterious, always told, certainly played a part in this. The harmony of animals and landscape as a unit is of greater interest today than ever before. The looks and moods of the animals in Wilhelm Kuhnert's paintings make it easy for people to recognise themselves in them.