Theodor Alt

1846 Döhlau near Hof– 1937 Ansbach, Germany

 

 

Theodor Alt made this painting at the summit of his career, probably around 1876 in Munich where, at his parents’ home in Petersaurach, he must have had access to the depicted objects. The work was definitely made before 1880 when Theodor Alt showed first signs of a psychic illness, increasingly suffering from attacks and finally being institutionalised. The artist still painted in oil after 1880, however, never achieved his former brilliance.

 

“In the Studio” can be considered as a major piece in Theodor Alt’s oeuvre. It technically stands out through its “alla prima style” revealing a light and spontaneous brushwork. Theodor Alt skilfully captured the poor light that comes from the left and, with a selection of dark colours, stressed the elegant coolness of the interior. Being ahead of his Munich painter colleagues, his style seems rather bold and contrasts with his delicate paintings of his earlier days. By choosing a rougher and more simplified approach, he paid less attention to detail and instead focused on the characteristics of the surfaces. As regards the depicted subjects, references to Trübner and Schuch become obvious. These are not coincidental, but reflect influences that were important for his work.

 

Theodor Alt visited the Nuremberg School for Arts and Crafts from 1861 until 1863 before he changed to the Munich Arts Academy upon the recommendation of his teachers. He was first a student of Hermann Anschütz’s; from 1866 until 1873 he studied under Arthur von Ramberg. In 1869, Theodor Alt shared a studio with his fellow student Wilhelm Liebl and his colleagues Johannes Sperl and Rudolf Hirth du Frênes at Arcisstraße, Munich. Towards the end of 1873, he settled down as a painter in Petersaurach, Middle Franconia, but already from 1876 onwards he repeatedly had to take breaks from painting due to his psychic illness. From 1878 until 1884 Theodor Alt lived with his mother in Adelshofen near Rothenburg ob der Tauber where – because of his mental condition – he painted less and less often. He died in Ansbach in 1937.