Circle of Antonio Schranz
19th century | German

An Alpine Lake in Summer

Oil on canvas

Part of an impressive family lineage of artists, Antonio Schranz mastered the art of landscape painting at an early age. As An Alpine Lake in Summer attests, his circle of followers shared his inimitable skill for capturing the splendor of the European landscape, while simultaneously chronically nineteenth century coastal life. In the present work, a young couple crossing choppy waters in a boat teeming with produce, presumably to sell at the next village. Behind them, the peaks of the Alps loom, radiantly illuminated by the rays of the sun.

Born in 1801, Schranz benefited from the teachings of his father, Anton Schranz, a native of Germany who had relocated to the Mediterranean and established himself as a successful landscape and marine painter. Following the relocation of the family to Malta in 1818, Schranz joined the profession of his father and brothers, Giovanni and Giuseppe, and began paintings views of the island’s harbors and picturesque landscape. Arguably the most innovative artist of his family, Schranz was unique for using photography to assist in his monumental panoramic compositions, allowing him to capture a seamless blend of warm atmosphere and charming figural groups in a single composition. 

While a remarkable talent and success in his day, Schranz fell into relative obscurity late in his life, and portions of his biography, including his death, are left unknown. Given the date and subject of the present work, inscribed en verso, it is assumed he spent some of the last years before his death in Germany, the land of his father. As such, this painting bears a particularly sentimental quality, while also signifying an important contribution to the biography of the artist.

Circa 1868

Canvas: 14 7/8" high x 17 7/8" wide
Frame: 23 3/8" high x 26 3/4" wide