Johann Georg Meyer von Bremen, First, a Kiss! Signed and dated lower centre: Meyer von Bremen Berlin 1879 Johann Georg Meyer was born in Bremen in 1813. Already in his early years he took to supplementing his family name with that of his birthplace: Meyer von Bremen. The painter, who trained at the Düsseldorf Academy, became a well-known name among artists and art lovers in Germany and beyond. Early in his career, Meyer von Bremen opted for genre painting, and within this sphere he gradually began to specialise almost exclusively in paintings of children. Meyer von Bremen was a master both of observation and his brush, he was adept at capturing the childlike soul as well as natural phenomena, especially the distinctive light effects throughout different times of the day. His paintings depict, with wit and sympathy, the joys and games, the little worries and fears of children's lives. Although occasionally tending toward the cloying, his works are always brilliantly painted and are among the icons of German culture of the mid- to late 19th century. Oil on canvas 56 x 44 cm South German private collection F. v. Boetticher: Malerwerke des 19. Jahrhunderts, 19, vol. II, p. 89, no. 82.