(Obersbachem 1814–1884 Düsseldorf)
Resting on the riverbank in the Caucasus, signed (in ligature), dated PvFranken 1872, oil on canvas, 55.5 x 76.5 cm, framed, restored, (W)

Paul von Franken was a member of the Dusseldorf School of Painting and studied at the Dusseldorf Academy of Fine Arts in 1841/42 before embarking on extensive study trips to Brussels, Antwerp and Amsterdam. He lived for three years in Dresden (1846-1849), where he met his future wife, the painter Helene Köber, and later married in 1851 in Dusseldorf. After a stay in Paris they moved in 1852 to the home of his wife, who was born in Mitau, today Jelgava in Latvia. The following year they travelled via St Petersburg and Moscow to Tbilisi, where the couple settled for a few years. At the instigation of the Russian Council of State, Paul von Franken painted the memorable theatres of war of the Caucasus and thus enjoyed the immediate protection of the Russian government. He was already known as a painter of the Caucasus during his lifetime and drew his motifs from the diverse Caucasian landscape until the end of his life. In addition to the vast landscape, he was fascinated by the people of the region, whom he often portrayed in his works with documentary precision. In 1860 his marriage collapsed and he returned to his hometown of Bad Godesberg. He would later travel to Italy and process his newly-gained impressions, whilst also returning to the motif repertoire of his Caucasian period. Afflicted by health problems, Paul von Franken died in 1884 in Dusseldorf.
The present lot shows a scene in the Caucasus and illustrates Paul von Franken’s preference for the representation of this region and its people. The numerous sketches and drawings that he made during his stay in the Caucasus served as a template and inspiration for his paintings after his return to Germany.