Wilhelm von Kobell Biography

Wilhelm von Kobell's painting carries the restrained mark of the neoclassical and is, however, also mixed with the precision of nature observation, a feature of the budding Romantic. His views of the Munich area and the landscape of Upper Bavaria contain subtle and restrained depictions of the native populace. His subdued compositions - the artist usually set the straight line of the horizon low in his works, thereby creating large monochromatic surfaces - are, as well, marked by their reduced coloration. Many of Kobell's paintings are bathed in a haze that invests the landscapes, despite their detailed precision, with a distinct atmosphere.