This early 20th-century oil painting by German artist Eugenie Dillmann (1858-1940) depicts a brisk coastal landscape with cart, figures, distant cliff-top building, and cloudy sky.

Dillmann was predominantly known for her impressionistic landscapes - particularly covering views in Bavaria, the Alps, and Brandenburg. Hailing from Kiel, she was born into a family of much endeavour. Her father, August, was a renowned ‘orientalist’, linguist, and theology professor. While her sisters, Elisabeth and Julie, were both in the arts. Following a move to Berlin, she trained initially under Julius Jacob the Younger and then with landscape painter Bernhard Buttersack. Both appear to have been influential, particularly the latter.

Her style evolved over the decades and in her formative years, she often captured views in the mountains, from Bavaria to Switzerland. These early works often exhibit a rugged quality with rich colouring. As her career progressed, her style became somewhat smoother - with less emphasis on individual details and more on tonal shifts.

In this piece, from around 1930, one of her better works, the sky is particularly successful with the description of clouds passing overhead deftly handled. There’s a sense of movement coupled with a palpable chill in the air.

Signed in the lower left and held within its original ornate frame with foliate. The artist’s wax seal appears on the frame and stretcher.

Learn more about Eugenie Dillmann in our directory.

Medium: Oil on canvas
Overall size: 25” x 21” / 64cm x 54cm
Year of creation: c. 1930
Labels & Inscriptions: Artist’s biography on reverse.
Provenance: Private collection, Germany.
Condition: Assessed and approved by our conservator. Cleaned. Revarnished. Fine and settled craquelure, as you would expect. The paint layer is stable.
Our reference: BRV1830