Albert Berger (1883–1977) - The Music Lesson

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ALBERT BERGER (1883–1977) – The Music Lesson

Cabinet painting in oil on wood panel, signed “A. Berger” lower right, attributed to the German painter Albert Berger (1883–1977), early 20th century.

The work presents a charming genre scene with a musical subject: a young woman in traditional costume, caught playing a stringed instrument, is guided by an older male character. The interaction between the two characters, the expressiveness of the physiognomies and the attention paid to the gestures transform the composition into an intimate, animated and strongly narrative scene.

Despite the small format, the painting stands out for its finesse of execution, especially in the treatment of the faces and hands, the meticulousness of the female costume and the careful rendering of the musical instrument. The warm red, ochre and white tones of the characters are highlighted by the dark background, focusing all attention on the scene.

Albert Berger (1883–1977) was a German painter active in the artistic circles of Stuttgart and Munich, trained in Stuttgart under the guidance of Robert Poetzelberger, Christian Landenberger and Robert von Haug. The art market archives document works by the artist signed "A. Berger", including figurative scenes executed in oil on panel and cabinet works of similar size.

The painting is presented in an imposing, richly profiled and ornamented, period gilded frame, which preserves an attractive patina of time and considerably amplifies the visual presence of the work.

Author: Attributed to Albert Berger (1883–1977)
Descriptive title: The Music Lesson / The Music Lesson
Dating: early 20th century, ca. 1900–1920
Technique: oil on wood panel
Signature: "A. Berger", lower right
Painting dimensions: 12.5 × 17.5 cm
Framed dimensions: 26 × 31 cm
Style: European genre painting / late academic realism
Condition: very good, considering its age; frame shows patina and normal signs of age.

An attractive cabinet painting from the early 20th century, remarkable for its musical subject, the expressiveness of the characters, the meticulous execution and the beautiful presentation in the period gilded frame.