Grashof, Otto
1812 Prenzlau - 1876 Köln

Winterliche Bärenjagd des Tsarevich Alexander Nikolaevich. Öl auf Leinwand. Doubliert. 106 x 144cm. Signiert, datiert und bezeichnet unten rechts: O. Grashof, Moscau 1843. Rahmen.

Zusatzinformation: Tsarevich Alexander Nikolaevich

Erläuterungen zum Katalog

Otto Grashof
Deutschland
Düsseldorfer Schule
Realismus
19.Jh.
Originale
Winter
Gemälde
Russland



Grashof, Otto
1812 Prenzlau - 1876 Köln

Winter Bear Hunt of the Tsarevich Alexander Nikolaevich. Oil on canvas. Relined. 106 x 144cm. Signed, dated, and inscribed lower right: O. Grashof, Moscau 1843. Framed.

As the first-born son of the Russian emperor Nikolai I, Alexander II bore the title Tsarevitch up until his own coronation in 1855. Because of his large reforms, especially the liberation of the peasants and thus the abolition of serfdom in Russia, he will go down in history as the "liberator-emperor". The heir to the throne has been a passionate hunter since childhood. Next to many other activities, hunting is an integral part of his leisure time. On spring nights he likes to hunt woodcocks, but also deer, foxes, hares and other animals. However, he particularly enjoys hunting bears in the snow-covered winter forest. Alexander II receives training on the rifle as early as at the age of 10. Only a few years later he goes hunting himself - always accompanied by professional hunters, dogs and his private tutor. But although there are numerous depictions of the still young Tsarevitch on the bear hunt available (ill. 1), the scene depicted in this painting did not actually take place like this. In his painting the artist Otto Grashof combines previous landscape studies and a hunter's attack on a female bear. After his education at the Düsseldorfer Akademie Otto Grashof travels to Russia at the age of 26 and spends many years in St. Petersburg and Moscow - primarily as a portraitist of the upper class. His hunting scenes are received by the Russian court society with equal enthusiasm. Several of his works were included in the collection of Tsar Nikolaus I, the father of Alexander II.
In a letter to his mother from 1843 Otto Grashof describes a large-sized painting with the depiction of the winter bear hunt. This he intended to present to the Tsar Nikolai I - thus it is not unreasonable to choose the heir to the throne Alexander II as the hunter in the picture.
During a journey Grashof uses the opportunity for nature studies and paints the deep, snowy Russian forest en plein air. Only the silhouette of a big city is reminiscent of the proximity to Moscow. He integrates the main motif into this landscape in his studio - a bear hunt. This scene, too, does not originate from the pure imagination of the talented painter. He previously observes the killing of a female bear by dogs and hunters in a kennel. Grashof integrates this observation into the winter forest and in addition uses his skills as a portraitist to incorporate the young Tsarevitch Alexander into the action. (ill. 2).
Thus, three actual occurences - the imperial bear hunt, the Russian winter forest and the killing of a bear in a kennel - are transformed into a new, composed scene, which, however, is in no way inferior to reality.

Additional information: Tsarevich Alexander Nikolaevich

Explanations to the Catalogue

Otto Grashof
Germany
19th C.
Paintings
Winter
Painting
Russia