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Lot description
(Miesenbach 1807–1862 Vienna) A Bull Fighting a Bear, signed F. Gauermann, oil on canvas, 71.5 x 58 cm, framed Provenance: Collection of Ludwig Lobmeyer (1929–1917), Vienna; His sale, C. J. Wawra, Vienna, 22 October 1917, lot 23; Private Collection, Austria; Sale Dorotheum, Vienna, 31 May 2007, lot 52; Private Collection, Austria. Catalogued and illustrated in: Rupert Feuchtmüller, Friedrich Gauermann 1807–1862. Der Tier- und Landschaftsmaler des österreichischen Biedermeier, Vienna 1962, p. 184, no. 165; Rupert Feuchtmüller, Friedrich Gauermann, Vienna 1987, p. 183, lot 205. In the present lot, Friedrich Gauermann portrays a dramatic struggle between a bull and a bear set against a rugged, mountainous landscape. In the foreground, the powerful bull grapples with the bear, which has already collapsed onto the ground. With its head lowered, the bull drives its horns into the bear’s body, while the bear, in an attempt to defend itself, writhes with its mouth open. Gauermann masterfully conveys this intense confrontation between life and death, capturing the taut, straining bodies of the animals in the midst of violent motion. His meticulous attention to detail is evident not only in the rendering of the animals’ fur and musculature but also in the surrounding vegetation, reflecting both the realism characteristic of the Biedermeier period and the artist’s dedication to achieving the most naturalistic representation possible. The composition immediately draws the viewer’s gaze to the fierce struggle, with deliberate use of light and shadow enhancing the plasticity of the figures. In the middle ground, cattle stand as silent witnesses to the fight, their gaze seemingly fixed on the scene, while in the background, a rocky mountain range with dense coniferous forests rises, partially shrouded in mist. From the 1830s onwards, Gauermann’s work became increasingly dynamic and emotionally charged, as exemplified in this painting. The depiction of untamed natural forces became a central theme, and he focused on dramatic compositions and striking lighting effects. This shift is also reflected in his own notes, where he began referencing chiaroscuro when describing his works. Today, his meticulously maintained entry book offers valuable insights into his artistic process and view of nature, as well as his extensive network of patrons across Europe. In the spring of 1843, he described this very piece with the following words: “A fight between a bull and a bear; the bear is pressed against the rock, cows shy away to the left, the alp further in the centre ground. Gloomy lighting.” Direct observation of nature was always fundamental to Gauermann’s practice. Throughout his travels, hikes, and painting expeditions—many undertaken in the company of fellow artists—he continually expanded his repertoire of motifs. A preparatory drawing for this painting is preserved in the Landessammlungen Niederösterreich (inv. no. KS-2809). His efforts to capture both the lighting conditions and the immediacy of the moment are already evident in the broad hatching of the pencil study. Gauermann’s sketches and studies made from nature were not merely tools for recording locations; they were integral to shaping the composition’s dramatic tension. In his work, the line between observed reality and artistic imagination becomes fluid, resulting in a compelling pictorial universe.