Alexander Koester (b. Neustadt 1864, d. Munich 1932)
Alexander Koester (b. Neustadt 1864, d. Munich 1932)
“Enten im Sonnenlicht”. Ducks in sunshine. Signed A. Koester. Oil on canvas. 57×95 cm.
Literature: Ruth Stein & Hans Koester, “Alexander Koester 1864–1932 Leben und Werk”, 1998 no. 712.
Provenance: A Danish private collection.
Alexander Koester was a German landscape and animal painter, who became particularly known for his portraits of ducks. Koester originally began his apprenticeship as a pharmacist in 1882 – at the request of his parents – but after completing the apprenticeship he followed his own passion for painting. He was admitted to the Academy of Fine Arts in Karlsruhe, where he studied under the artists Karl Hoff (1838–1890) and Claus Meyer (1856–1919). Already during his studies he supported himself by making commissioned portraits, but also painted genre paintings. In the years 1885–1895, he made study trips to Munich and Tyrol, among others. In 1896, he settled in the town of Klausen in South Tyrol with his wife. Here, he found the motif that would define his artistic career: the ducks. Koester was deeply fascinated by ducks and studied their behavior and anatomy closely. He became an expert at depicting them in their natural habitat, capturing the play of light on the water surface and the ducks’ plumage. His duck paintings quickly became popular, and he became so well known for them in his time that he was nicknamed “Enten Koester”. In 1900, Wilhelm II of Germany (1859–1941) acquired one of his duck paintings. He won the small gold medal at the Große Berliner Kunstausstellung in 1902 and at The Louisiana Purchase Exposition in 1904 for his duck motifs. Later in life he also delved into flower paintings and landscapes, but ducks remain his trademark to this day.
Category: Paintings
Additional Remarks: Please note: The item is subject to the Anti-Money Laundering Act. In the event of a hammer price of DKK 50,000 or more, including buyer’s premium, the buyer must submit a copy of a valid photo ID and proof of address in order to collect the item.
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Alexander Koester (b. Neustadt 1864, d. Munich 1932)
“Enten im Sonnenlicht”. Ducks in sunshine. Signed A. Koester. Oil on canvas. 57×95 cm.
Literature: Ruth Stein & Hans Koester, “Alexander Koester 1864–1932 Leben und Werk”, 1998 no. 712.
Provenance: A Danish private collection.
Alexander Koester was a German landscape and animal painter, who became particularly known for his portraits of ducks. Koester originally began his apprenticeship as a pharmacist in 1882 – at the request of his parents – but after completing the apprenticeship he followed his own passion for painting. He was admitted to the Academy of Fine Arts in Karlsruhe, where he studied under the artists Karl Hoff (1838–1890) and Claus Meyer (1856–1919). Already during his studies he supported himself by making commissioned portraits, but also painted genre paintings. In the years 1885–1895, he made study trips to Munich and Tyrol, among others. In 1896, he settled in the town of Klausen in South Tyrol with his wife. Here, he found the motif that would define his artistic career: the ducks. Koester was deeply fascinated by ducks and studied their behavior and anatomy closely. He became an expert at depicting them in their natural habitat, capturing the play of light on the water surface and the ducks’ plumage. His duck paintings quickly became popular, and he became so well known for them in his time that he was nicknamed “Enten Koester”. In 1900, Wilhelm II of Germany (1859–1941) acquired one of his duck paintings. He won the small gold medal at the Große Berliner Kunstausstellung in 1902 and at The Louisiana Purchase Exposition in 1904 for his duck motifs. Later in life he also delved into flower paintings and landscapes, but ducks remain his trademark to this day.
Category: Paintings
Additional Remarks: Please note: The item is subject to the Anti-Money Laundering Act. In the event of a hammer price of DKK 50,000 or more, including buyer’s premium, the buyer must submit a copy of a valid photo ID and proof of address in order to collect the item.
Estimate
Time, Location
Auction House
