Oswald Achenbach

Original canvas. There are some flecks of light retouching along the lower edge, some light heightening to the darker and lighter areas in the lower right quadrant and a line of retouching to the upper left edge. Apart from a pinhole to the centre of the left side, and a minor spot of paint loss to the upper left corner, the work is in good overall condition with clear detail and varied colours and ready to hang. Held in a simple, gold-painted moulded plaster and wood frame.
"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."

Oswald Achenbach belongs to the great German landscape painters of the second half of the nineteenth century, following in the tradition of Johann Wilhelm Schirmer (his teacher at the Kunstakademie in Düsseldorf, where he enrolled in 1835 aged just nine), Wilhelm von Schadow and Carl Rottmann. Painting almost exclusively Italian landscapes, the Düsseldorfer Zeitung in 1861 dubbed him 'the true painter of Italy'.

After 1843, Achenbach undertook various study trips throughout Europe, which took him to the Netherlands, Switzerland, Austria, France, Russia and Italy. It was Italy, however, that was to become Achenbach's main source of inspiration, and he revisited the country on numerous occasions throughout his career. He was particularly fond of Naples and its surrounding countryside and neighbouring villages Sorrento and Positano.

Achenbach was held in high regard internationally by his peers and became an honorary member of the Academies of  Amsterdam, Rotterdam and St. Petersburg. In 1863 he succeeded Schirmer as professor of landscape painting at the Kunstakademie, Düsseldorf.