|
|
Alexander Koester
Alexander Koester was born in 1864 at Bergneustadt, Germany.
He became a trainee apothecary in Wintzheim near Colmar in 1882, in
accordance with his parents' wishes. After finishing his
apprenticeship he enrolled at the Karlsruhe academy in order to
study under Carl Hoff and Claus Meyer. In 1889 the artist travelled
extensively and particularly while walking the Inn and Oetz valley,
produced many sketches, the basis for a series of genre oil
painting. Already as a student, Koester earned his livelihood with
portrait commissions. During this time he travelled for the first
time to Klausen in Southern Tyrol where he would later settle. But
for the time being he returned to Karlsruhe where - apart from
portraiture - he dedicated himself increasingly to genre painting
and contributed to numerous exhibitions.
After finishing his studies, Koester moved to Klausen where the new
working conditions led him to great productivity. He did numerous
oil painting directly from nature. In the process, he discovered a
subject which - in its great variety - would preoccupy him for
another thirty years: the duck. This subject quickly became very
popular. Koester rented a studio in Munich in order to have easier
access to the upper Bavarian landscapes where he painted in summer.
In ever increasing painterly virtuosity he produced reflecting
surfaces and duck's feathers shimmering in shadow and light,
reminiscent of late-impressionism.
Success did not fail to materialise: In 1904 Koester was awarded
the gold medal at the world fair in St Louis for his painting
'Enten'. He was awarded another gold medal by prince regent
Luitpold of Bavaria for the painting 'Dem Ufer zu'. As of 1908, the
artist became a regular visitor of the area around Lake Constance
in order to capture great, wide expanses of water in every weather.
During the war Koester temporarily lived in Dießen am Ammersee and
eventually settled there. With great enthusiasm he now dedicated
himself to flower still lives, though the subject of the duck
always remained highly visible in his works until the end.
Alexander Koester died on 21 December 1932 in Munich. Today, the
pictures of ducks embedded in landscapes still account for his
reputation as 'Enten-Koester'.
|
|
|
cart is empty
