Christian Wilberg
Encyclopedia
Christian Wilberg was a German
painter
.
Wilberg was born in 1839 in Havelberg
in the Margraviate of Brandenburg
(nowadays Saxony-Anhalt
) where he lived until 1861. He was originally a house painter before moving to Berlin
where he studied painting at Eduard Pape's atelier. After 18 months, Pape suggested to Wilberg that he should study further with Paul Gropius, where he acquired a good knowledge of perspective
and architecture
. After finishing his apprenticeship under Oswald Achenbach
's supervision in Düsseldorf
in 1870, Wilberg traveled through Northern Germany and spent two years in Venice
. Even after returning to Berlin, Wilberg continued visiting Italy as his favourite field of art was Italian architecture. Amongst his most important works in this field are his paintings of St Mark's Basilica
in Venice and the Cappella Palatina
in Palermo
.
In 1880, Wilberg painted a panorama of the Gulf of Naples
for the Berlin Fishery exhibition, which gained him recognition amongst insiders. In the year before he went on a trip to Pergamon
with the director of the Berlin Collection of Classical Antiquities. It was here that Wilberg made a series of sketches of the Acropolis
which he later utilised for paintings. He acquired a large knowledge in ancient architecture and used this to conceive reconstructions of Roman buildings – one of which was later hung in Berlin's famous Café Bauer.
Wilberg's last major project was a great panorama of the Baths of Caracalla
which he created for the Berlin Hygiene exhibition of 1882. This last major work was incinerated when the exhibition hall caught fire and Wilberg only had time to save a few paintings and drawings. After the fire, Wilberg travelled to France
in the company of Werner Ludwig Pietsch in order to paint in Sedan; on his way there, he got ill while visiting Paris
. He died there shortly afterwards. In October and November of 1882 a special exhibition including more than 677 of Wilberg's works was held in Berlin's National Gallery
. Some of the paintings from this exhibition, Villa Mondagrone and a number of oil sketches in watercolour
and pencil drawings, were transferred to the National Gallery's ownership. In 1883, the Old Masters Picture Gallery
in Dresden
was presented with Memento Mori, one of Wilberg's motifs of the Sabini Mountains in Italy.
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
painter
Painting
Painting is the practice of applying paint, pigment, color or other medium to a surface . The application of the medium is commonly applied to the base with a brush but other objects can be used. In art, the term painting describes both the act and the result of the action. However, painting is...
.
Wilberg was born in 1839 in Havelberg
Havelberg
Havelberg is a town in the district of Stendal, in Saxony-Anhalt, Germany. It is situated on the Havel, and part of the town is built on an island in the centre of the river. The two parts were incorporated as a town in 1875...
in the Margraviate of Brandenburg
Margraviate of Brandenburg
The Margraviate of Brandenburg was a major principality of the Holy Roman Empire from 1157 to 1806. Also known as the March of Brandenburg , it played a pivotal role in the history of Germany and Central Europe....
(nowadays Saxony-Anhalt
Saxony-Anhalt
Saxony-Anhalt is a landlocked state of Germany. Its capital is Magdeburg and it is surrounded by the German states of Lower Saxony, Brandenburg, Saxony, and Thuringia.Saxony-Anhalt covers an area of...
) where he lived until 1861. He was originally a house painter before moving to Berlin
Berlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
where he studied painting at Eduard Pape's atelier. After 18 months, Pape suggested to Wilberg that he should study further with Paul Gropius, where he acquired a good knowledge of perspective
Perspective (graphical)
Perspective in the graphic arts, such as drawing, is an approximate representation, on a flat surface , of an image as it is seen by the eye...
and architecture
Architecture
Architecture is both the process and product of planning, designing and construction. Architectural works, in the material form of buildings, are often perceived as cultural and political symbols and as works of art...
. After finishing his apprenticeship under Oswald Achenbach
Oswald Achenbach
Oswald Achenbach was a German landscape painter.Born in Düsseldorf, he received his art education from his brother, Andreas Achenbach. His landscapes generally dwell on the rich and glowing effects of color which drew him to the Bay of Naples and the neighborhood of Rome. He also painted in the...
's supervision in Düsseldorf
Düsseldorf
Düsseldorf is the capital city of the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia and centre of the Rhine-Ruhr metropolitan region.Düsseldorf is an important international business and financial centre and renowned for its fashion and trade fairs. Located centrally within the European Megalopolis, the...
in 1870, Wilberg traveled through Northern Germany and spent two years in Venice
Venice
Venice is a city in northern Italy which is renowned for the beauty of its setting, its architecture and its artworks. It is the capital of the Veneto region...
. Even after returning to Berlin, Wilberg continued visiting Italy as his favourite field of art was Italian architecture. Amongst his most important works in this field are his paintings of St Mark's Basilica
St Mark's Basilica
The Patriarchal Cathedral Basilica of Saint Mark is the cathedral church of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Venice, northern Italy. It is the most famous of the city's churches and one of the best known examples of Byzantine architecture...
in Venice and the Cappella Palatina
Cappella Palatina
The Palatine Chapel is the royal chapel of the Norman kings of Sicily situated on the ground floor at the center of the Palazzo Reale in Palermo, southern Italy....
in Palermo
Palermo
Palermo is a city in Southern Italy, the capital of both the autonomous region of Sicily and the Province of Palermo. The city is noted for its history, culture, architecture and gastronomy, playing an important role throughout much of its existence; it is over 2,700 years old...
.
In 1880, Wilberg painted a panorama of the Gulf of Naples
Gulf of Naples
The Gulf of Naples is a c. 15 km wide gulf located in the south western coast of Italy, . It opens to the west into the Mediterranean Sea. It is bordered on the north by the cities of Naples and Pozzuoli, on the east by Mount Vesuvius, and on the south by the Sorrentine Peninsula and the main...
for the Berlin Fishery exhibition, which gained him recognition amongst insiders. In the year before he went on a trip to Pergamon
Pergamon
Pergamon , or Pergamum, was an ancient Greek city in modern-day Turkey, in Mysia, today located from the Aegean Sea on a promontory on the north side of the river Caicus , that became the capital of the Kingdom of Pergamon during the Hellenistic period, under the Attalid dynasty, 281–133 BC...
with the director of the Berlin Collection of Classical Antiquities. It was here that Wilberg made a series of sketches of the Acropolis
Acropolis
Acropolis means "high city" in Greek, literally city on the extremity and is usually translated into English as Citadel . For purposes of defense, early people naturally chose elevated ground to build a new settlement, frequently a hill with precipitous sides...
which he later utilised for paintings. He acquired a large knowledge in ancient architecture and used this to conceive reconstructions of Roman buildings – one of which was later hung in Berlin's famous Café Bauer.
Wilberg's last major project was a great panorama of the Baths of Caracalla
Baths of Caracalla
The Baths of Caracalla in Rome, Italy were Roman public baths, or thermae, built in Rome between AD 212 and 216, during the reign of the Emperor Caracalla.- History :...
which he created for the Berlin Hygiene exhibition of 1882. This last major work was incinerated when the exhibition hall caught fire and Wilberg only had time to save a few paintings and drawings. After the fire, Wilberg travelled to France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
in the company of Werner Ludwig Pietsch in order to paint in Sedan; on his way there, he got ill while visiting Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
. He died there shortly afterwards. In October and November of 1882 a special exhibition including more than 677 of Wilberg's works was held in Berlin's National Gallery
Alte Nationalgalerie
The Alte Nationalgalerie in Berlin is a gallery showing a collection of Classical, Romantic, Biedermeier, Impressionist and early Modernist artwork, all of which belong to the Staatliche Museen zu Berlin. The museum is situated on Museum Island, a UNESCO-designated World Heritage Site.- Founding...
. Some of the paintings from this exhibition, Villa Mondagrone and a number of oil sketches in watercolour
Watercolor painting
Watercolor or watercolour , also aquarelle from French, is a painting method. A watercolor is the medium or the resulting artwork in which the paints are made of pigments suspended in a water-soluble vehicle...
and pencil drawings, were transferred to the National Gallery's ownership. In 1883, the Old Masters Picture Gallery
Gemäldegalerie Alte Meister
The Gemäldegalerie Alte Meister in Dresden features major works of art. It is located in the gallery wing of the Zwinger....
in Dresden
Dresden
Dresden is the capital city of the Free State of Saxony in Germany. It is situated in a valley on the River Elbe, near the Czech border. The Dresden conurbation is part of the Saxon Triangle metropolitan area....
was presented with Memento Mori, one of Wilberg's motifs of the Sabini Mountains in Italy.