Alexander Max Koester

Sale: Christie's, New York, 12 February 1998, lot 103

R. Stein and H. Koester, Alexander Koester 1864-1932: Leben und Werk, Recklinghausen 1988, no. 939, illustrated.

Celebrated for his paintings of ducks in particular, Alexander Koester, along with Heinrich von Zügel, was one of the most important Impressionist animal painters from the Munich School. He was initially encouraged by his family to pursue a career as a pharmacist but ultimately enrolled at the Staatliche Kunsthalle in Karlsruhe. There, he trained under some of the most established painters in Germany, such as Carl Hoff, Claus Meyer, von Zügel, and Leopold von Kalckreuth. He began painting genre scenes of folk life and landscapes but later specialized in painting ducks, which would establish his reputation. His work was collected by European royalty and he was awarded medals for artistic achievement throughout Europe and the United States.