Louis Ammy Blanc (1810-1885), Círculo de - Die Kirchgängerin

Louis Ammy Blanc (1810–1885), around Die Kirchgängerin
Dated 1834
Signature/inscription: vertical bottom left, read as “Marie v. Erichsen 1834”
Oil on canvas
Ca. 45 × 33 cm
Provenance/documentation: old and historical label from the Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam on the reverse
Authorship not definitively established; further art-historical research recommended.

Special and intriguing 19th-century oil painting with a reduced version of the famous composition “Die Kirchgängerin” by Louis Ammy Blanc (1810–1885), one of the best-known painters associated with the Düsseldorf school of painting. Depicted is a characteristic young woman in an elaborately worked-out historical costume, with a prayer book in her hands and Gothic architecture in the background. This architecture is the Cologne Cathedral, which was under construction at exactly the dating of the painting (1834). The subject follows the famous “Kirchgängerin” by Louis Ammy Blanc; an icon of German painting from the Biedermeier period. Notably is the vertically placed inscription bottom left. It is read as: “Marie v. Erichsen 1834” The exact meaning of “Marie v. Erichsen” has not yet been definitively established. It could be a signature of the executed painter, but without further technical and art-historical investigation it cannot be ruled out that the name has another meaning, for example as an old ownership, commission, or other inscription. This is of art-historical interest because Louis Ammy Blanc developed his famous composition “Die Kirchgängerin” around 1833/1834 and the work was exhibited in that period. Noteworthy is the vertically placed inscription bottom left. It is read as: “Marie v. Erichsen 1834” The exact meaning of “Marie v. Erichsen” has not yet been definitively established. It could be a signature of the executing painter, but without further technical and art-historical investigation it cannot be ruled out that the name has another meaning, for example as an old ownership, commission, or other inscription. This is of art-historical interest because Louis Ammy Blanc developed his famous composition “Die Kirchgängerin” around 1833/1834 and the work was exhibited in that period.

LOUIS AMMY BLANC AND DIE KIRCHGÄNGERIN

Louis Ammy Blanc (1810–1885) was a German painter closely linked to the Düsseldorf School. “Die Kirchgängerin” became his most famous composition and enjoyed great renown already in the 19th century. Several historical versions of the subject are known. In addition to the early main work, Blanc himself produced further versions/reproductions. The popular composition was also copied by other artists and disseminated through graphic reproductions. The painting offered here stands out for its small size, age, painted execution, early dating and special historical documentation on the reverse. The possible attribution to Marie von Erichsen or Louis Ammy Blanc is presented as a hypothesis and not as a definitively established authorship.

STEDIELIJK MUSEUM AMSTERDAM

Of particular importance for the history and provenance of the painting is the reverse side. Here there is an old, partially preserved exhibition/loan tag with clearly legible: “STEDELIJK MUSEUM AMSTERDAM”. The historic tag contains several pre-printed fields for, among other things, artist, title, owner/address and exhibition. A portion of the originally filled-in information has been lost or is difficult to read due to age and damage. The tag forms an interesting clue that this specific painting was previously registered in connection with an exhibition or loan at the Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam. The exact exhibition and date have not yet been identified. It is explicitly not claimed that the painting was owned by the Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam. The tag is mentioned solely as an important physical component of the object's historical provenance.