"Rare early work by Lirs: an atmospheric landscape with a fast ride before an impending thunderstorm in an Alpine village"

(1826 Herrnhut – 1882 Vahrn near Brixen) A Bavarian wedding party leaves the village in a horse-drawn carriage in a scene of a fast ride before an impending storm in an Alpine village, where a mother with children and two other figures flee from the storm and the carriage, accompanied by a small dog. A rare early work by Lier, who masterfully combines an atmospherically darkened landscape with a genre theme and the depiction of rapid movement. It belongs to the first known paintings of the artist, who was based in Munich from 1849. In his early period, Lier focused on the mountain world of the Alps and the beauty of the tranquil lakes of Upper Bavaria, which he chose as motifs for his paintings.

In the summer, he made study trips to Tyrol and the Salzburg region, to Brandenburg, to Raumau, to Lake Starnberg and Lake Chiemsee on the island of Fraueninsel. From 1861 to 1864, Lier stayed in Paris for an extended period, which led him to plein air painting. In addition to the Munich tradition, his art increasingly embraced new influences from the Barbizon school and the French “interior landscape.” Oil, canvas, mounted on French canvas; signed and dated 1854 with indication of Munich. 52 cm x 65 cm. In a frame.