Ferdinand Georg Waldmüller

Anton Ritter von Oelzelt, Vienna (sale: P. Kaeser, Vienna, 18 November 1878, lot 85)
The Sachler Collection, Vienna (purchased at the above sale)
Sale: S. Kendes Auktion-Institut, Vienna, 3 November 1919, lot 215
Purchased at the above sale by the family of the present owner; thence by descent

Basel, Kunsthalle, Ausstellung von Werken des 19. Jahrhunderts aus Basler Privatbesitz, 1943, no. 153

Friedrich von Boetticher, Malerwerke des neunzehnten Jahrhunderts, vol. II.2, Dresden, 1901, p. 969, no. 119, catalogued
Bruno Grimschitz, Ferdinand Georg Waldmüller, Salzburg, 1957, p. 326, no. 544, catalogued & illustrated
Rupert Feuchtmüller, Ferdinand Georg Waldmüller, Vienna, 1996, p. 121, discussed; p. 478, no. 601, catalogued & illustrated

This condition report has been provided by Hamish Dewar, Hamish Dewar Ltd. Fine Art Conservation, 14 Masons Yard, Duke Street, St James's, London SW1Y 6BU. Structural Condition The artist's panel has been cradled and this has successfully stabilised two vertical splits which run down through the length of the panel. The two vertical lines are slightly uneven and would be improved if the panel was to be removed from the cradling and treated. As the structural condition is stable, however, it may well be felt that no further structural intervention is required. Paint Surface The paint surface has a very discoloured varnish layer and would respond extremely well to cleaning and revarnishing. Inspection under ultra-violet light shows two vertical lines of retouching down the repaired splits in the panel, a very thin diagonal line (approximately 4 cms in length) in the lower left corner and retouchings along the lower horizontal framing edge. Summary The painting is therefore in stable condition but has structural issues and would respond well to cleaning and revarnishing.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

This work, which Rupert Feuchtmüller singles out for special attention in the introduction to his catalogue raisonné and describes in great detail (p. 121), was painted at the height of Waldmüller's artistic powers and epitomises the Bauerngenre (peasant genre) for which he was so popular.

In this quintessentially classical composition, framed by a pyramid of helpers representing the three generations, the young bridesmaid takes centre stage as she is crowned with a wreath of roses in readiness for the wedding that lies ahead. She, and the figures around her, are lifted from the shadows of the porch by the bright sunlight streaming in from the outside, further heightening the theatricality of the moment depicted. 

However, underlying the classical construction of the composition is a loving attention to detail, which grounds the scene in time and space and makes it a veritable fountain of information about rural life in the Salzkammergut. Waldmüller depicts the overhanging eaves and plank walls in painstaking detail; sickles have been stuck in the wood, scythes hang on the wall, a pair of felt slippers lies discarded beside an earthenware pot; while the local costumes have all been copied meticulously.

Not to be overlooked is the verdant mountain landscape so compellingly hinted at which, like the scene unfolding in the foreground, is so evocative of a place Waldmüller held dear. Taking up less than a quarter of the picture plane, the glimpse of the mountainside is like a painting within a painting, bearing witness to Waldmüller's genius as a landscape painter and his love of the green wilderness with its cool shadows and its grasses, stones, streams, and leaves touched by the sun.