The pastoral genre paintings of Heinrich Bürkel (1802-1869) are not found in many American museums and so, the name is relatively unknown to our audiences. He was an important member of the German landscape school in the middle of the 19th century, which is the period we believe this untitled canvas can be attributed to.
“Bürkel was the son of an inn-keeper who wanted him to follow a business career. His aptitude for art, however, was so marked that he overcame such obstacles and was able to devote himself entirely to painting. He studied at the Munich Academy of Art, travelled in Italy with Köbell, and was made an honorary member of the Vienna, Dresden, and Munich Academies of Art. He painted mainly popular scenes.” —Benezit Dictionary of Artists
Heinrich Bürkel (1802-1869), Untitled [Hunters resting along the trail], no date [ca.1850]. Oil on canvas. Gift of J. Monroe Thorington, Class of 1915. Graphic Arts Collection GA 2011.01489
