Carl Stathmann 1866-1939: The Two Herons, Pastel On Paper

Born in Düsseldorf in 1866, Carl Strathmann enrolled at the Düsseldorf Academy of Fine Arts in 1886/87. He then continued his studies at the Weimar School of Painting, where he became a student-master in the studio of Leopold von Kalckreuth (1855-1928). Around 1890, he settled in Munich. He became a member of numerous artists' associations, such as Allotria, the Künstler-Sänger-Verein, and the Cococello-Club. After a brief membership in the Munich Secession, he was a founding member of the Freie Vereinigung. He also contributed to the early issues of the art and lifestyle magazines Jugend and PAN. In 1903, an article by his close friend Lovis Corinth was dedicated to him in the magazine Kunst und Künstler. In the same year, he was represented with 31 works at the 8th exhibition of Wassily Kandinsky's Phalanx artists' association. From May to June 1911, he had his second major exhibition at Paul Cassirer's gallery in Berlin. Several exhibitions followed at the Kunsthaus Brakl in Munich, notably in 1913, 1915, and 1917. In 1924, he had a major solo exhibition at the Kunstgemeinschaft Wien. He also had a birthday exhibition for his 65th birthday at the Kunstverein in Munich. He died on July 29, 1939, in Munich. Strathmann first became known for his highly ornamental "Jugendstil," blending symbolism, macabre fantasy, eroticism, and black humor. His works are characterized by dense compositions, a highly decorative surface, the use of floral ornaments and decorative motifs, as well as great attention to textures, gilding, and material effects. He created allegorical scenes, highly stylized female figures, fantastical visions, literary subjects (Flaubert, mythology, legends), and genre scenes imbued with symbolism, the most famous of which is his Salammbô (1895), which caused a scandal. One can mention the influence of Strathmann's art on a generation of younger artists in Munich—particularly with regard to his participation in the 8th exhibition of the Phalanx artists' association in November and December 1903. The Phalanx, active in From 1901 to 1904, he was, in a way, a precursor to the New Artists' Association of Munich and the Blaue Reiter. As in other associations, Wassily Kandinsky (1866-1944) was also a major figure in the Phalanx. This testifies to the recognition of Carl Strathmann by this avant-garde movement, since he was given such a prominent place in an exhibition, especially since the "star guest" of the previous exhibition was none other than Claude Monet (1840-1926) with 16 works. Some scholars even go so far as to attribute to Strathmann a role in the birth of abstract art: "With his mosaic, his Byzantine brilliance, and his unbridled and capricious imagination, Strathmann represented a further step on the path to abstraction. [...] This testifies to the perspicacity and sensitivity of Kandinsky, who granted Strathmann the recognition he deserved" (PeggWeiss). The work "The Two Herons" portrays an animal that frequently appears in Strathmann's work. It is an animal that can symbolize calm, lucidity, patience, and also... observing the world from its high legs, curiosity. Some see it as an intermediary between worlds, living on the border between water and air, between the material and spiritual worlds. Our painting, playing on the harmonies of blue and white, exudes an atmosphere of calm and patience.
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