Alfred Zoff and On a Dutch Canal

Alfred Zoff, born on 11 December 1852

Franz Matsch and Leonardo Da Vinci Playing Chess With His Muse

'Leonardo Da Vinci playing chess with his Muse' (1890-95) by Franz Matsch;
Private Collection?

I chose this painting by Austrian artist Franz Matsch, born on 16 September 1861, for today because there wasn't much else to choose from. There was actually an artist with a bigger name and reputation available, namely Quentin Matsys, a Flemish painter, but the date of his death was not very clear, somewhere between 13 July and 16 September 1530, and there was more than one spelling for his name. Although I do like his painting of The Moneylender and his Wife, I like the one I picked by Matsch better. And it is nice to discover a small painter who is not very well-known by the public. I have to say though that this was the only painting that stood out for me. I didn't find much else that I really liked. Matsch was a painter and sculptor in the Jugenstil style who studied art in Vienna and collaborated with Gustav Klimt and his brother Ernst Klimt on numerous decorative wall paintings in buildings. He worked also on several private commissions. If you read German, you can click on the painter's name above. There was an English page but with little information. I could not find the location of the painting but found that it sold at Sotheby's in London in 2000 so I think it is in private hands.

Egon Schiele and Edith Schiele

Due to my stay and volunteer work in Peru for most of June and July, I won't have time to write but I will continue to post a painting a day. I may add text upon returning to Amsterdam. I hope you will still visit to see the daily painting. 

Franz Eybl and The Reading Girl

'Reading Girl' (1850) by Franz Eybl; Österreichische Galerie im Belvedere, Vienna

I love this painting! It's in my book of women and reading in art. I had already looked up the dates of birth/death of the artist and had made a note. So the artist's name is Franz Eybl and his date of birth is April 1, 1806. This Austrian painter, who never left his birthplace Vienna, was very succesful with his genre paintings and portraits. Today's painting of a girl reading dates from 1850. The innocent face of the girl and her total absorption in the book lends infinite charm to this painting. I think it's pure and lovely.

Gustav Klimt and The Kiss

'The Kiss' (1907-08) by Gustav Klimt; Österreichische Galerie Belvedere, Vienna

Most people will know Austrian Symbolist painter Gustav Klimt (July 14, 1862 - 6 February, 1918) because of his golden paintings. Probably most famous is 'The Kiss'. I have a reproduction myself. It's hanging in a big golden frame in my kitchen. It's so beautiful that I never get tired of it. The colours are stunning and I think it's magical. Klimt used gold leaf for the paintings from his 'golden phase'. His father was a gold engraver by trade so that could have had something to do with it. 'The Kiss' was already popular in Klimt's time and hasn't lost in beauty till this day.