German Landscape Painting of Alpine Mountain Waterfall by Guido Hampe

Details

Description

GUIDO HAMPE
German, 1839-1902
Alpine Landscape with Waterfall (1881)
Oil on canvas | signed lower right "G. Hampe '81"
Item … Read more GUIDO HAMPE
German, 1839-1902
Alpine Landscape with Waterfall (1881)
Oil on canvas | signed lower right "G. Hampe '81"
Item # 106QJY03C
An incredibly powerful Romantic landscape of the Alpine mountains with a waterfall cascading into a valley, the river pouring over the rocks and curving around the bend, flowing past a pair of figures seated on a grassy noll with a transcendant unearthly lighting that creates a focal point of the couple. It is as if the clouds have opened up just to shine light on them, emphasizing the glorious day the man and woman are experiencing on this leisurely hike through nature.
Painted by Guido Hampe in 1881, the painting was acquired by Charles S. Shultz, president of the Hoboken Bank in Montclair, New Jersey where it remained in his home until its deaccession from the home in 2021. The home was particularly interesting for its total originality, the interior looking almost identical throughout its entire life to how it appeared at its inception in 1896. Enclosed in the collection of images is a shot of the painting in situ over the living room fireplace as captured by the Montclair Magazine article on the home in 2020.
The work is signed in his typical script lower right "G. Hampe / 81". It remains housed in the original and substantial giltwood frame, fully restored and a very powerful presentation.
An article on the Charles S. Schultz home can be found by clicking here.
Artist Listings & Bibliography:
* E. Benezit Dictionary of Artists, Vol. VI, Gründ, 2006, p. 1105
Measurements: 32 1/4" H x 42 1/2" W [canvas]; 48 1/2" H x 58 5/8" W x 5 1/4" D [frame]
Condition Report:
A fine presentation ready to place: frame with minor wear/abrasion/loss; canvas with trace grime in the mountain tops and sky and all-over moderate craquelure. Surface bright and vibrant. Retains the original frame that we have had professionally restored with trace regilding and inpainting, some elements recreated; the restoration has preserved the antique nature of the frame and all restoration has been toned to match the aged aesthetic of the frame. Painting was acquired with its apparently first surface, an incredibly thick grime layer that significantly obscured the image - this was likely due to its placement above the fireplace in the Charles Shultz residence. We have had it professionally conserved where the entire surface was very carefully cleaned and the varnish was removed - there are several places where the varnish had cross-linked with the oil and the discolored varnish was not able to be entirely removed (more apparently in some portions of the sky where trace grime remains present). The canvas was relined with BEVA on Belgian linen and tears were repaired - the only one affecting the visible surface is on the right side in the tree tops (a few inches below the sky). Losses were inpainted, including a few small specks in the sky, the repaired tear mid-right, the extreme edges where the frame rubs and other minor spots. Canvas was sealed in a traditional Damar varnish. The result is a very fine presentation, powerful in the original and very substantial giltwood frame. See less