"Otto Dill's Impressionistic Cityscape"

(1884 Neustadt an der Haardt – 1957 Bad Dürkheim) "Notre-Dame." Original title "View from a bustling square onto the famous western facade of the Gothic cathedral in Paris." A rare, impressionistic work painted with virtuosic free brushwork, today a nostalgically charming cityscape by Otto Dill from 1948. This view combines one of his favorite motifs – an elegant horse-drawn carriage that leads the viewer in and contrasts with the modern automobiles in the background. Like the Berlin Impressionist Lesser Ury, Otto Dill also creates a scene in the metropolis that fully captures the lively atmosphere with its flickering lights and dynamic, impulsive brushstroke style. Otto Dill studied at the Munich Academy from 1908 to 1914 and was a master student of animal painter Heinrich von Zügel from 1909 to 1913, who also introduced him to plein air painting and Impressionism. The depiction of horses and riders, whether in races, tournaments, or carriage teams, is one of the central themes in Otto Dill's work, alongside lions and other big cats. As early as summer 1917, Dill presented a first fairly extensive collection of 10 oil paintings and 15 drawings at an exhibition in the Munich Glass Palace. As a member of the Munich Secession, he participated in various exhibitions of the art society from 1922 to 1930. In 1924 he was awarded the title of professor, and in 1949 he was appointed an honorary member of the Academy of Fine Arts in Munich. In 1930, the artist moved from Munich to Neustadt an der Weinstraße, and in 1941 he moved to Bad Dürkheim, where he lived and worked until his death in 1957. Alongside Max Slevogt, Otto Dill is today one of the most important artists of classical modernism from the Palatinate. Oil on wood panel. Signed. On the reverse is attached a large cotton label with embroidered estate information and the number 103, created by Emmy Dorothea Dill (1886-1967), the artist's widow, as well as two estate labels, one with the title and date 1952. 70 cm x 100 cm. Framed. Literature: Catalog of the memorial exhibition on the 20th anniversary of Otto Dill's death "Otto Dill: Paintings and Graphics," Pfalzgalerie Kaiserslautern 1977, No. 158 (with illustration). Provenance: Estate of the artist; Emmy Dorothea Dill (1886-1967); Kunsthaus Bühler, Stuttgart; German private collection, Rhineland-Palatinate. Oil on plywood. Signed. On the reverse is an attached embroidered cotton estate label from the artist's widow Emmy Dorothea Dill (1886-1967), additionally named and dated 1948 on two labels from the Kunsthaus Bühler gallery, Stuttgart.