'Moonlight Sonata' by William Ritschel, Munich School, National Academy, California, Carmel, Panama-Pacific International Exposition

Description

Partial signature, lower right, "..chel", for William (Wilhelm) Frederick Ritschel (German-American, 1864-1949) and painted circa 1925 (Graphite landscape sketch, verso). … more Partial signature, lower right, "..chel", for William (Wilhelm) Frederick Ritschel (German-American, 1864-1949) and painted circa 1925 (Graphite landscape sketch, verso). Accompanied by certificate of authenticity.

Born in Germany, William Ritschel first attended the Latin and Industrial School in Nuremberg. In his youth, he worked as a sailor and it was during this period that he began to develop his talent for sketching marine subjects. Ritschel studied art at the Royal Academy in Munich under Karl Raupp and Ernst Kaulbach before moving to New York City in 1895. In 1911, he settled in Carmel, California while continuing to exhibit both on the East Coast and in Europe. His paintings of the ocean earned him international acclaim and, in 1914, he was elected to membership of the National Academy. In 1918, he began construction on his stone-built house and studio, 'Castellammare', situated in the Carmel Highlands overlooking the Pacific ocean. This castle-like structure would remain his home for the rest of his life. Here he would live and paint and, from here, he would venture forth to travel the world, particularly to his beloved South Seas.

Over the course of a long and celebrated career, William Ritschel exhibited widely and with success. He was the recipient of numerous prizes, medals and juried awards including from the National Academy of Design, 1913 (prize), 1921 (prize), 1926; National Arts Club, 1914 (gold medal); Panama-Pacific International Exposition, 1915 (gold medal); California State Fair, 1916 (gold medal), 1926 (1st prize); Philadelphia Arts Club, 1918 (gold medal); California Watercolor Society, 1921-23; Salmagundi Club, 1923 (Isador prize), 1930; Art Institute of Chicago, 1923 (prize); Royal Academy, 1924; Paris Salon, 1926 (honorable mention); Stendahl Gallery (LA), 1929; Santa Cruz Art League, 1937 (prize); Biltmore Salon (LA), 1944; and the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts. Ritschel was also an active member of national and international art organizations including the New York Watercolor Club, American Watercolor Society, Carmel Art Association, Bohemian Club, Société Internationale des Beaux Arts et des Lettres (Paris), Kunstverein (Munich), Academy of Western Painters (LA), Allied Art Association, National Academy, and the National Arts Club. His work may be found in the permanent collections of museums nationwide including the National Arts Club; NMAA; Monterey Peninsula Museum, Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts, Oakland Museum, Fort Worth Museum, St. Louis Museum, Bowers Museum (CA), Detroit Art Club, Art Institute of Chicago, Los Angeles County Museum of Art, Minneapolis Museum, Crocker Museum (CA), Irvine Museum (CA), Orange County Museum (CA).

Reference:
Who Was Who in American Art 1564-1975: 400 Years of Artists in America, Peter Hastings Falk, Sound View Press 1999, Vol. 3, page 2779; E. Benezit, Dictionnaire des Peintres, Sculpteurs, Dessinateurs, et Graveurs, Jacques Busse, 1999 Nouvelle Édition, Gründ 1911, Vol. 11, page 730; Thieme-Becker Allgemeines Lexikon der Bildenden Künstler von der Antike bis zu Gengenwart, Ulrich Thieme and Felix Becker, Deutscher Taschenbuch Verlag 1992, Vol. 28, page 383; Artists in California 1786-1940, Third Edition, Edan Milton Hughes: Crocker Art Museum, Sheridan Books 2002, Vol. 2, page 938; Mallett’s Index of Artists, Daniel Trowbridge Mallett, Peter Smith: New York 1948 Edition, R.R. Bowker Company 1935, page 372; Mantle Fielding’s Dictionary of American Painters, Sculptors and Engravers, Glen B. Opitz, Apollo Press 1983, page 787; American Art Annual 1919-33; NY Times, 3-13-1949 (obituary); et al. less