Carl Herpfer (German, 1836-1897)
The christening party
signed and inscribed 'Carl Herpfer/München' (lower right)
oil on canvas
95 x 144cm (37 3/8 x 56 11/16in).
Footnotes:
Born in 1836 in a town near Munich, Carl Herpfer studied at the Royal Academy of Art in Munich alongside, among others, Johann von Schraudolph and Karl von Piloty. Despite his tutors encouraging him to follow the academic school of history painting, Herpfer made a name for himself with elaborate genre scenes revolving around domestic events of bourgeois society.

Highly accurate in its depiction of the 19th century interior, the present painting is replete with the details of costumes, fabrics, furniture, paintings and all the other trappings of a richly decorated interior - it is a feast for the eyes. As well as all of the inanimate interest, the scene is filled with characters of all ages and social rank within the household. Herpfer has captured individual's emotions, but also the relationships and interactions between different members of the group. This work highlights both Herpfer's quality as an artist and his imagination, but also his ability to imbue a scene with genuine interest and drama.
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The canvas has been lined and provides a stable support. There is fine, stable craquelure across the work. There are also fine lines of wrinkling across the work. There is light rubbing to the framed edges. Inspection under UV light reveals some small scattered lines of minor retouching beneath an opaque varnish layer.