Christian Köhler, German, 1809-1861

Provenance:
Ernst August-Fideikommiss 1855 Inv. Nr.. 826
Königliche Verwaltungs-Kommission 1891, p. 240, no. 94 (100), Provinzial-Museum, Hanover
Ernst August-Fideikommiss 1905 Inv. Nr. 382
Fideikommiss-Galerie 1905, p. 200, no. 94 (100), Povinzial-Museum, Hanover

Literature:
Justus Molthan, Verzeichniss der Bildhauerwerke und Gemälde welche sich in den Königlich Hannoverschen Schlössern und Gebäuden befinden (Catalogue of the Sculptures and Paintings in the Royal Hannovarian Castles), Hannover 1844, p. 130, no. 25(Residenzschloss, Hanover)

Note:
Christian Köhler was working as a groom for the writer K. G. S. Heun when Friedrich Wilhelm von Schadow met him and discovered his talent as a painter. With the help of Schadow he entered the Royal Academy of Berlin. When his teacher left Berlin for Düsseldorf in 1826 Köhler followed him and became Schadow's pupil at the Düsseldorf Academy in 1827. Following Schadow's advice he studied the old masters of the Renaissance which could be found in German collections as he never had the chance to travel to Italy. His style was influenced by Raphael's middle and late period. Inspired by Bendemann's religious genre paintings, Köhler painted allegories and historical paintings, taking as their subjects stories from the Old Testament. Usually he chose to depict biblical heroines such as Semiramis, the subject of the present work. When the Assyrian King Ninus heard of her immense beauty he called her to his palace, fell in love with her at once and married her. After his early death Semiramis reigned on behalf of their son. One day, while she was getting dressed, she was informed about  a rebellion in Babylon. Hearing that her soldiers were fleeing she took a sword and entered the fight without finishing her toilette first. The present painting ranks among Köhler's chief works. A second version can be found in the National Gallery, Berlin.     

Exhibited:
Hanover, Neues Museum zu Hannover

Literature:
Boetticher, Malerwerke des 19. Jahrhunderts, I/2, 1895, no.16