Lines and Colors art blog

August von Siegen

August von Siegen, 19th century cityscape
August von Siegen was a 19th century German painter who specialized in cityscapes of in the style of European and “Oriental” (Eastern Mediterranean) cities.

Some are of recognizable places or landmarks, but most are fanciful, and he appears to blend real and imagined views.

His emphasis is on the dramatic and exotic, so it’s no surprise that the real European landmarks are often in Venice or Rome.


Comments

6 responses to “August von Siegen”

  1. Another great cityscape painter and another who has influenced my own work. I find the 19th century (Dutch and German?) cityscape and landscape painters, and the still life painters for that matter, to be among the best. I often look to these artists for inspiration.
    And this one much like your other recent October 1 2016 post on Adrianus Everson.
    http://linesandcolors.com/2016/10/01/adrianus-eversen/#comments

    Both have those great alternating lights and darks and atmospheric perspective that give the views the drama, especially for their restrained color palettes, in what might otherwise be mundane and pedestrian.
    Thanks Charley

    1. Thanks, David. I agree. There is another Dutch cityscape painter who I have’t covered directly yet — but have highlighted in several Eye Candy posts — who is my favorite of the genre (if it is an actual genre): Cornelis Springer.

  2. There seems to me to be incredible the environment that August von Siegen manages to create in his paintings. On one hand it continues being a realistic painting, but for other one, they look like images of stories. A greeting from Barcelona and thanks for all the information that you publish. Artpironti

  3. Ah yes! The first of those Cornelius Springer Eye Candy posts, View of the Hague and study, is the one that got me on to his works, that slippery wet paint application in the study!
    I should have added these von Siegen’s have a more crisp air quality to them, different than the Springer’s slightly more soft-edged paint. Both approaches equally affective.
    I can’t say enough I guess. Besides the epic feel each achieves and although I don’t dismiss the less-is-more golden rule there is a lot to be said for well thought intricate works especially when they are so good they never lose sight of the big picture and their underlying strong compositions.
    As evidenced in detail shots of the overall paintings there are a lot of mini paintings within the whole. I have stood in museums in front of paintings like these experiencing that joy of discovery only to realize I have been in front of it so long I will miss others!
    Sometimes more-is-more.

    1. Yes, good point about “less-is-more, but sometimes more is more”. I find myself captivated by the texture and atmosphere in these paintings.

  4. Oliver Denker Avatar
    Oliver Denker

    Thanks for that post. Never heard of August von Siegen before and his work looks fantastic.