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August Wilhelm Dressler Portrait Paintings

German, 1886-1970
Wilhelm August Dressler is one of the painters of the New Objectivity (...) and was committed to social and political issues. The Berliner-of-choice defied stubbornly the summary classification. Dressler acted truthfully to his origin, temperament and insight as an individual who presents his bond as obligation, who takes his program as template and his slogan as abomination. Only few painters of his generation restrain so inconspicuously from the revolutionary storm and new trends that found its most effective expression in Expressionism of ” the Bridge” group and in the mystical works of the ‘Blue Rider’. Dressler’s self-imposed isolation is based neither on his capriciousness nor is it intentional – it is simply one of the inner necessities of his artistic existence. One does not do justice to his work, if one tries to interpret only the visible facts, the artistic or the technical qualities in Dressler’s works. This painter lived his destiny with a stubbornly determined consequence of his fate: the pictures are nothing else than the graphic metaphors of the ‘introverted gaze’. He experienced grief and loneliness already during his youth. Dressler learns early about the shadow side of human existence – it becomes the basis of the way he perceived the world. ” I cannot separate myself from what has established me ” – there was a very immediate connection and solidarity between the painter and his personal experiences (l’art pour l’art attitude). Thus Dressler identifies himself with those embodiments of petty-bourgeois narrowness, with those disappointed and abandoned, with those who appreciate simple joys of life and those with quiet hopes. In his works the figurative language wins through its ability to depict and objectify feelings without words. Dressler does not paint to be modern or original. His way of perception is essential in a solid sense; he focuses on things, elements, and events that reflect a piece of life. The closeness to the object and the attachment to the figure remain unchanged in Dressler’s oeuvre. One is tempted, looking at his works of five decades, to speak rather than about development but more of unfolding. The thematic inventory is from the beginning artist’s credo and basic motive: the form is added as the answer of the painter. It is Dressler’s personal preference not to correct reality nor to imitate it – his realism brings form and content, sensation and insight to life in a forceless manner. Dressler feels, thinks and arguments his works on a more general level; his work is not an illustration of social misery or individual depravity. This “realist of the sharper tone” painterly transcends the limitations of genre and folklore; his “petty-bourgeois everyday life” is neither enclosed in the poor man’s pathos nor in the oh-human ecstasy. “Who controls the keyboard of nature”, proclaims Dressler, “can play in their own ways”. Source: Delp’sche Verlagsbuchhandlung München, August Willhelm Dressler, Munich 1970.
(Biography provided by Galerie Lehner)
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Artist: August Wilhelm Dressler
Angel Bride
By August Wilhelm Dressler
Located in Wien, 9
August Dressler is one of the painters of the New Objectivity. He is one of the lesser-known artists of the Weimar era, but he too, like his famous contemporaries Georg Grosz, John H...
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20th Century Modern August Wilhelm Dressler Portrait Paintings

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Florentine Woman
By August Wilhelm Dressler
Located in Wien, 9
August Dressler is one of the painters of the New Objectivity. He is one of the lesser-known artists of the Weimar era, but he too, like his famous contemporaries Georg Grosz, John H...
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1930s Modern August Wilhelm Dressler Portrait Paintings

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Titan Fine Art present this picture which formed part of a historic collection of an English aristocratic family, Lord and Lady Sandys at their magnificent baroque and Regency Grade-I listed family home, Ombersley Court. The house was among the most fascinating survivals of its kind in this country. The atmospheric interiors were distinguished above all for the works of art associated with two key moments in national history and, more specifically, to the roles of Colonel the Hon. John Russell in the Civil War and the reign of King Charles II and of Lord Arthur Hill, later 2nd Baron Sandys, in the Peninsular War. The collection was acquired or commissioned over five centuries and remained at Ombersley Court until its recent sale, the first in 294 years. This painting hung in The Great Hall (see photo). 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Titan Fine Art present this picture which formed part of a historic collection of an English aristocratic family, Lord and Lady Sandys at their magnificent baroque and Regency Grade-I listed family home, Ombersley Court. The house was among the most fascinating survivals of its kind in this country. The atmospheric interiors were distinguished above all for the works of art associated with two key moments in national history and, more specifically, to the roles of Colonel the Hon. John Russell in the Civil War and the reign of King Charles II and of Lord Arthur Hill, later 2nd Baron Sandys, in the Peninsular War. The collection was acquired or commissioned over five centuries and remained at Ombersley Court until its recent sale, the first in 294 years. This painting hung in The Great Hall (see photo). This charming portrait is an example of the type of small-scale panel portraits, often of splendid beauties of the time, that became fashionable from about the first quarter of the seventeenth century. The sitter has been depicted wearing a low-cut silk dress with the wide billowing sleeves typical of the late 1630’s. The simplicity of the ensemble is reinforced by the absence of lace on either the collar or cuffs. At this fashion moved away from complicated layers of fabrics to an understated elegance of plain silk (satin and taffeta were most popular) with only a couple of focal points as accessories. However, obligatory for any respectable woman, pears are shown in abundance, as a necklace, on the dress attire, and pear-shaped earrings called ‘unions excellence’ reflecting the difficulty of finding perfectly matched pearls of such large size. They could range up to 20 millimetres in diameter. There is a splendid display of gold, diamond and pearl jewellery which is an obvious sign of her wealth. The subject is thought to be Diana Bruce née Cecil, 1st Countess of Elgin (c.1603-1654). The physiognomy and features strongly correlate to a portrait of the countess by Cornelius Johnson (1593-1661), painted circa 1638, at Kenwood House, London. Another painting from Ombersley Court, also with Titan Fine Art, is contemporaneous to this and is thought to represent the countess’s husband, Thomas Bruce, 1st Earl of Elgin (1599-1663) – it appears to have derived from Cornelius Johnson’s portrait of the Earl, of circa 1638, also at Kenwood House. During the 1630’s Johnson painted a number of portraits, obviously influenced by Van Dyke. Here, Theodore Russel, who worked in the studios of both Van Dyle and Johnson, and later specialised in small scale reproductions of his master’s works, appears to have modelled the head, with the striking large dark eyes, on Cornelius Johnson, and the attire on Anthony van Dyke. Theodore Russel and Cornelius Johnson also had a family connection as it is thought that Russel’s step-mother was a sister of Johnson. Diana Cecil, Countess of Oxford (1596–1654), later Countess of Elgin, was an English aristocrat. She was probably the middle daughter of the three daughters of William Cecil, 2nd Earl of Exeter and Elizabeth Drury. Her first husband, Henry de Vere, 18th Earl of Oxford, died in battle only 18 months after their marriage in 1624. She married her second husband Thomas Bruce (1599-I663) in 1629, becoming the Countess of Elgin in 1633. Her portrait was presumably painted at a similar time as the companion portrait of her husband, the Earl of Elgin. She died in 1654, outlived by her husband and leaving no children. A large monument exists of the countess in her burial shroud at Ailesbury Mausoleum, Bedfordshire. The work has been well cared for over its life, which spanning almost four centuries, and having recently undergone a treatment to remove an obscuring discoloured varnish, it can be fully appreciated, and attributed to Theodore Russel. Once owned by Evesham Abbey, the manor of Ombersley was acquired by the Sandys family in the early 1600s, when Sir Samuel Sandys, the eldest son of Edwin Sandys, Bishop of Worcester and later Archbishop of York, took a lease on the manor, before receiving an outright grant in 1614. The present house, Ombersley Court, dates from the time of Samuel, 1st Lord Sandys, between 1723 and 1730. The house itself is a fine example of an English Georgian country house set in rolling countryside and surrounded by Wellingtonias, planted to commemorate the Battle of Waterloo by Arthur Hill, 2nd Baron Sandys, who played a distinguished part in the battle and was one of the Duke of Wellington’s aides de camp. The Duke also stayed in the house and in the Great Hall, was the Waterloo banner which was brought to the house by Sir Arthur Hill, aide-de-camp to the Duke of Wellington, who succeeded his mother, the Marchioness of Downshire as 2nd Lord Sandys. Further Waterloo memorabilia are kettle drums from battle. The family had a strong tradition of military and political service, dating back to the 17th century, and this was also reflected in the fine collection of portraits and paintings in the house. In short, Ombersley represented a vital aspect of British history. The house and more especially the collection were of the greatest historical importance. Houses that have remained in the possession of the same family for as many as three centuries have become increasingly rare. Through this portrait, collectors have a chance to acquire a piece of British history and an evocative vestige of a glittering way of life, which is now gone. Presented in a fine period frame. Theodore Russell, or Roussel, was born in London in 1614. His father came from Bruges to England and was the Royal Stuart jeweller. His apprenticeship was spent in the studio of his uncle, Cornelius Johnson, with whom he lived for about nine years. Sometime after 1632, he is said to have worked as an assistance to Van Dyck. He executed numerous copies of portraits by his famous master and other notable painters, also painting original works. He is particularly remembered for his portraits of Charles II at Woburn Abbey and James II at the Palace of Holyrood. His son, Antony Russel (c.1663–1743) was also a portrait-painter and is said to have studied under John Riley. 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August Wilhelm Dressler portrait paintings for sale on 1stDibs.

Find a wide variety of authentic August Wilhelm Dressler portrait paintings available for sale on 1stDibs. You can also browse by medium to find art by August Wilhelm Dressler in paint, glass, oil paint and more. Much of the original work by this artist or collective was created during the 20th century and is mostly associated with the modern style. Not every interior allows for large August Wilhelm Dressler portrait paintings, so small editions measuring 14 inches across are available. Customers who are interested in this artist might also find the work of Antonio Feltrinelli, Peter Robert Keil, and Orovida Pissarro. August Wilhelm Dressler portrait paintings prices can differ depending upon medium, time period and other attributes. On 1stDibs, the price for these items starts at $2,853 and tops out at $15,741, while the average work can sell for $9,297.

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