catalog text
MOTHER AND CHILD UNDER ARCHES | ALOIS JOSEF BENEDICTER (GERMAN, 1843-1931)
Signed lower right “Benedicter 1872”
Item # 809GCZ15P
An exquisitely detailed Romantic painting of a mother enjoying a beautiful afternoon with her child, sitting in the cool shade on steps of the ruined arches in an old church. The perfect realism is typical to Benedicter’s work, as he generally focused on interior genre scenes with inordinate amount of attention shown to the objects of the environment surrounding figures; the present example shows an interesting eye for light and shadow, a difficult feat as the various angles blocking light sources leaves such variation in shadow opacity and color that realism can be elusive by a lesser artist. His stacks of brick and rock in the last open arch are absolutely golden with full sunlight and warmth pouring through, while the cool shadows only reveal their detail when looked into carefully. It is an incredibly fine work that blends architecture, a passion for aged ruins and the love of a mother for her child into a very pleasing picture.
Measurements: 33 1/4” H x 26 3/8” W x 1” D [frame]; 29 1/8” H x 22 1/4” W [canvas]
Condition Report:
Scattered light surface abrasions, including a long scratch middle upper edge, scratch on right edge beside sitting cat. Cleaned in the last fifty years or so, at which point it was relined; some scattered touch ups visible under UV along bottom edge, in the rocks, the upper right corner and a few minor random touches throughout. Frame is contemporary.