Additional information
by Walter Karbach (Author), Catherine Allison (Contribution by)
The painter Carl Haag (1820-1915) gained acclaim for his colorful
scenes of the Orient and true-to-life portraits, in which Nubian slaves,
Arabian camel drivers or Egyptian snake charmers enliven the visual
topography. After attending art school in Nuremberg, the son of a baker
advanced to become a sought-after portraitist in Munich, and later
refined his art with watercolor painting in Brussels and London. As
court painter to the duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, he worked for
Britain's Queen Victoria. His watercolors that portray the life of the
royal family in the Scottish Highlands are now part of the royal
collection. Always searching for new motifs, Haag traveled extensively
through Europe. In 1859 he headed to the Orient, visiting Cairo,
Jerusalem, Damascus, Palmyra and Baalbek.
In this first
biography about the painter, Walter Karbach conveys a vivid impression
of society in the Victorian age, discussing Haag's artistic influences,
personal preferences, as well as his artist friends and patrons. At the
same time, he elicits enthusiasm for Haag's landscape sketches,
portraits and drawings of ruins, which oscillate between documentary
representations and romantic or idealized scenic views.
Author Biography
Dr. phil. Walter Karbach, Literaturwissenschaftler, freier Autor und Gründer der Internationalen Carl-Haag-Gesellschaft, Trier.
