(Berlin 1817–1905)
View of Bellagio on Lake Como with View of Menaggio on the opposite bank, signed E. Pape, oil on canvas, 96 x 143 cm, framed, (Rei)

Provenance:
German private property

Exhibited:
1883 Berlin Academy Exhibition, 1885 Dresden Academy Exhibition, 1887 Hamburg Spring Exhibition.

Compare:
Friedrich von Boetticher, Malerwerke des 19. Jahrhunderts, Hofheim am Taunus 1979, Vol. II/1, no. 68.

Eduard Pape was a German theatre, decorative and landscape painter. He studied landscape painting at the Berlin Academy under Carl Blechen and Wilhelm Schirmer from 1839 to 1843 whilst earning his living working in the studio belonging to theatre and decorative painter Johann Gerst who also trained him. In 1845 Pape travelled to Tyrol, Switzerland and Italy. He was involved in decorating the Neue Museum in Berlin between 1849 and 1853. Pape was appointed a royal professor and member of the Berlin Academy in 1853. In 1857 a severe illness prevented him from painting for a long time. In old age he suffered from eye complaints and was almost blind when he died.

Bellagio is known for its picturesque setting, with a view of the Alps from the tip of the peninsula which separates the two southern arms of Lake Como. With its surrounding villas and gardens, Bellagio has been a major attraction for many famous personalities: Plinius the Younger favoured the setting, and visits by John F. Kennedy, Charlie Chaplin and Konrad Adenauer are all recorded.

The glittering waves of the blue-green Lake Como ripple along the shore. A fishing boat and two sailing boats animate the lake. The clouds and small town are bathed in light while the background indicates the approach of summer rain. The play of colour and use of light create an impressive chiaroscuro effect. In this work Eduard Pape has created a particularly painterly and subtle atmosphere.