Kallmorgen, Friedrich (1856-1957), Night Street, 1898

Friedrich Kallmorgen(1856 Altona - 1957 Göttingen), Nächtliche Straße , 1898, Eder L39. Color lithograph on blue card, 24.5 cm x 16.7 cm, mounted on cardboard and inscribed in lead “Friedrich Kallmorgen. Karlsruhe Nächtl. Straße” in pencil.

- Lithograph with mounting residue on the reverse, otherwise in very good condition

- The shimmer of the city -

Kallmorgen uses the tonality of the paper in this nocturnal street scene. The dark blue of the ground shines out from the depths of the image, intensifying the nocturnal glow of the dark cityscape. The blue combines with the yellow of the light to create a complementary contrast which, together with the glow of the rain-soaked street, creates a magical atmosphere. Kallmorgen discovers the city as an atmospheric darkness of colour and invites the viewer to immerse himself in this magical space.

About the artist

After first drawing lessons with his uncle, the painter Theodor Kuchel, and drawing courses at the Altona Sunday School, Friedrich Kallmorgen studied at the Düsseldorf Art Academy with Eugen Dücker from 1875. After a study trip to Franconian Switzerland with Carl Friedrich Lessing, he transferred to the Karlsruhe Art Academy in 1877, where he studied under Hans Gude, whom he followed to the Berlin Art Academy in 1880. The following year he returned to Karlsruhe to complete his studies under Gustav Schönleber. In 1881 he opened his own studio in Karlsruhe. In 1882 he married the painter Margarethe Hormuth-Eber. In 1888 he moved to Grötzingen and was one of the founders of the local painters' colony. In 1891 Kallmorgen was appointed professor in Karlsruhe and in 1901 he succeeded Eugen Bracht at the Berlin Art Academy. In 1908 he won a gold medal at the Great Berlin Art Exhibition. From 1911 to 1918 he was the chairman of the 'Cooperative of Visual Artists'. He then moved to Heidelberg, where he worked as an artist until his death.

Inspired by the Barbizon School, Kallmorgen painted outdoors from his earliest days as a student. Both natural and urban landscapes were a constant source of inspiration for him, and throughout his life he undertook study trips that took him to France, England, Holland, and Scandinavia.