Grützner - Portrait of Falstaff in Munich

(1846 Grosskarolowitz – 1925 Munich) Portrait of Falstaff – an old, rotund soldier who allows himself to drink and fight a lot from the plays of William Shakespeare, here depicted smiling in a composition that rejuvenates him from above. Grützner’s work is characterized by its delicate painting, motif, and stylistic typology, attentively and sympathetically portraying the figure of Falstaff. After studying at the Academy under Hermann Anschütz and Karl von Piloty from 1865 to 1870, Grützner quickly achieved great success and became one of the most important and popular genre painters in Munich to this day. The main themes of Grützner’s works were portraits of Falstaff, cardinals reading, and humorous motifs from monastic life. As early as 1868, Grützner presented his first painting with Falstaff in Munich and Vienna, and thereafter, throughout his life, he depicted Falstaff in ever new variations. Oil, wooden panel. Signed and dated 1909. 27.5 cm x 9.5 cm (cut-out in mat). In a frame.