CARL MORGENSTERN Frankfurt am Main, 1811 - 1893 The Port of Genoa Signed Carl Morgenstern and dated 1855 lower left Oil on canvas, cm 53X78 Provenance: Liguria, private collection Carl Morgenstern is known for his depiction of Italian landscapes with a romantic flavour imbued with a sense of idealisation and picturesqueness. His works, the result of numerous trips to Italy, reflect the country's fascination for foreign artists of the time. In the early 1830s, Morgenstern visited classical cities such as Rome, Naples and Sicily, before returning to Italy several times in the following decades to explore the northern lakes. In 1855, during a stay in Genoa, he painted the evocative view of the harbour with the Lantern illustrated here, creating a work that stands out for its harmonious combination of soft light and subdued colours, paying homage to the harmony between landscape and idealism typical of late Romanticism. His artistic training began under the guidance of his father Christian, who passed on to him the basics of landscape painting. Subsequently, the young Carl refined his technique through the influence of artists such as Johann Heinrich Roos and, above all, through the Düsseldorf School, renowned for its detailed realism and attention to the representation of nature. Reference bibliography: Carl Morgenstern und die Landschaftsmalerei seiner Zeit, exhibition catalogue, Frankfurt am Main 2011, ad vocem