Updated November 2026 · ranked by our popularity score (searches, visits and orders for each work) · 122 works by Wilhelm Trübner in our catalogue
In short
To the gallery's eye, Wilhelm Trübner's most famous painting is Portrait of Actor Josef Kainz (1879), whose original hangs in the Kunsthalle Bremen, Bremen. Studio scene (1888) and Dog with Plate of Sausages (Caesar at the Rubicon) (1878) complete the trio every eye recognises. Of the 122 works by Wilhelm Trübner in our catalog, the gallery presents the 100 most famous below, each original with its year, its museum and what makes it unique.
In this 1879 portrait, we encounter Josef Kainz not as a public figure of the stage, but as a man caught in a moment of quiet, internal gravity. The composition is a bust-length study where the subject is positioned slightly off-center, his gaze directed toward the right side of the frame. There is a profound stillness here. The lighting, which originates from the upper left, carves his features out of…
In this 1888 oil painting, we find ourselves pulled into the enclosed, cluttered atmosphere of an artist's workspace. The composition is dense, almost heavy with the weight of creative preparation. A male figure sits in the foreground, his back to us, acting as a silent witness to the scene unfolding before him. He faces a seated female model, whose white blouse catches the light, providing a sharp, luminous contrast to…
There is a certain stillness in this scene, a pause in time that captures a singular, domestic focus. A dog sits poised at a table, its gaze fixed upon a plate of sausages. The composition is intimate, drawing the viewer into a private, unhurried moment of hunger and expectation. A cloth covers the table, providing a soft, textured foundation for the subject. The dog’s presence is steady, its expression one…
The portrait titled Boy with ruff is a work by the German realist painter Wilhelm Trübner. Created in 1871, the oil on canvas captures a single human figure in a moment of quietude. The subject is a young boy, presented in a close-up view that focuses on the face and the upper shoulders.
Portrait of an Old Man by Wilhelm Trübner presents a monochromatic, realistic study of an elderly male figure. The composition is a close-up bust portrait, positioning the subject centrally within the frame. He is set against a dark, indistinct background that lacks specific detail, creating a shallow depth of field. This arrangement causes the figure to appear as if he is emerging from a dark, void-like space directly toward the…
The work titled Selbstbildnis is a Selfportrait by the German artist Wilhelm Trübner. It captures the artist's own likeness, a quiet confrontation between the creator and the gaze. This piece emerges from the life of a man born in Heidelberg, Germany, in 1851. The canvas holds a specific moment of a life that concluded in 1917.
In this bust-length portrait, titled Woman from Brussels with Blue Tie, Wilhelm Trübner presents a quiet, intimate study of a young woman. The subject is captured in a profile view, facing toward the right of the frame. Positioned slightly off-center, her presence is anchored by a direct, eye-level perspective that invites a sense of immediate, private observation. The composition relies on a careful balance of form and space, allowing the…
In Blondine with Hat and Fur, Wilhelm Trübner presents a bust-length portrait that invites a quiet, close observation. The subject is positioned slightly off-center, facing the viewer directly with a gaze that feels both immediate and distant. She is dressed in a hat and a garment trimmed with voluminous fur, textures that anchor her presence within the frame. This arrangement creates a sense of intimacy, as if we have interrupted…
Christ in the Tomb II is an oil painting by Wilhelm Trübner. Executed about 1874, the work emerged during a period of significant development for the German realist. Trübner, born in Heidelberg, Germany, brought a precision shaped by his early training as a goldsmith to this somber subject.
Landwehr Officer is an oil portrait executed by the German artist Wilhelm Trübner. The work dates to 1872. This painting depicts a military officer in a bust-length composition, presented in a realistic style that emphasizes the specific details of the subject's appearance and attire.
Portrait of a young man1872 · Bavarian State Painting Collections
12
Self portrait1877 · Bavarian State Painting Collections
13
Tirolian girl1876
14
Gustav Mohr1872 · Kurpfälzisches Museum
15
Liebespaar mit Hund1873 · Museum Folkwang
16
Maler Hafenmeister with Model (also known as Adam and Eve in Costume)1873 · Von der Heydt Museum
17
Dog with Sausages (also known as Hail Caesar, We Who are about to Die Salute You)1878 · Alte Nationalgalerie
18
Pair of Centaurs by the Waterfall II1880 · Bavarian State Painting Collections
19
Romeo and Juliet1879
20
Scene from Danté's Divine Comedy1880 · New Gallery
21
Der Kammersänger Theodor Reichmann1879
22
Pair of centaurs in a forest I.1880
23
Portrait of a Girl with Red hair1884 · Harvard Art Museums
24
The Sculptor Rudolf Thiele1889 · Bavarian State Painting Collections
25
Battle of the Titans1891
26
Portrait of the Brewer Eisenhart, called "Der Mächer"1890 · Staatliche Kunsthalle Karlsruhe
27
Mars, Venus and the gods1891
28
Karl Trübner, the Artist's Brother1890 · Staatliche Kunsthalle Karlsruhe
29
Leopard Skins1895 · Staatliche Kunsthalle Karlsruhe
30
Portrait of an Unknown Lady1894 · Augustiner Museum
31
Salome1897 · Lentos Art Museum
32
Portrait of a man1900 · National Museum in Warsaw
33
Portrait of Fräulein Maria Wüsthoff1901 · Harvard Art Museums
34
Bust of a Young Girl with Loose Red Hair1911
35
Dame in violettem Kleid (Lady in Violet Dress)1911 · Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tāmaki
36
Half-length Portrait of a Man in Armor1913 · Augustiner Museum
37
Seated Musician (The Old Fiddler)1874 · Bavarian State Painting Collections
38
In the Church1869 · Staatliche Kunsthalle Karlsruhe
39
Castle Grounds in Lichtenberg in Odenwald1900 · Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum
40
Forest Interior1900 · Augustinermuseum
41
Cellar Window in Heidelberg Schloß1871 · Lenbachhaus
42
Lady in front of a Tapestry1870 · Kurpfälzisches Museum
43
Karl Haberstock1914 · Kunstsammlungen Und Museen Augsburg
44
Linden Tree on Herrenchiemsee1874 · Lenbachhaus
45
Potato Field near Weßling in Upper Bavaria1876 · Lenbachhaus
46
The Painter Carl Schuch1876 · Alte Nationalgalerie
47
Economic Buildings on the Herreninsel in the Chiemsee II1874 · Bavarian State Painting Collections
48
Forest Interior (Pines)1873 · Bavarian State Painting Collections
49
At Wesslinger See, with Dogge1876 · Bavarian State Painting Collections
50
Dismounted Cuirassiers1875
51
Buchenwald with Lovers1876
52
White Horse in Three-Quarter View1876 · Staatliche Kunsthalle Karlsruhe
53
Stubble Field with Ascending Path near Wessling1876 · Städel Museum
54
Sitting Great Dane1877 · Bavarian State Painting Collections
55
Dog's Head1878
56
Building Site at Wesslingersee1876 · Hamburger Kunsthalle
57
Birch trees on Herreninsel1874 · Staatliche Kunsthalle Karlsruhe
58
Georgine Hoffmeister1873 · Kurpfälzisches Museum
59
In the Bath House1876
60
Moor Smoking1873 · Niedersächsisches Landesmuseum
61
Girl with Folded Hands1878 · Staatliche Kunstsammlungen Dresden
62
Gunner with Hand Mirror1875 · Kurpfälzisches Museum
63
Girl with Folded Hands1878
64
On the Sofa1872 · Alte Nationalgalerie
65
Great Dane on Wessling Lake1876
66
Monastery on Herreninsel1874 · Alte Nationalgalerie
67
In the Studio1872 · Bavarian State Painting Collections
68
Moor with Peonies1873 · Kurpfälzisches Museum
69
Landing Stage on the Island Herreninsel in the Lake Chiemsee1874 · Staatliche Kunsthalle Karlsruhe
70
Armor1880 · Bavarian State Painting Collections
71
Caesar at the Rubicon1880 · Staatliche Kunsthalle Karlsruhe
72
Ludgate Hill, London1884
73
Ludgate Hill1884 · Staatliche Kunsthalle Karlsruhe
74
Graf Haupt zu Pappenheim1884 · Kurpfälzisches Museum
75
Landscape near Kloster Seeon with Telegraph Pole1891 · Staatliche Kunsthalle Karlsruhe
76
A view of Frauenchiemsee1891 · Los Angeles County Museum of Art
77
The Gorgon1891
78
Eagle1888 · Kurpfälzisches Museum
79
The Edge of the Woods at Obing1892
80
Mountain Stream in Prien1890
81
The Edge of the Woods1892 · Museum Bautzen
82
The Pub on Fraueninsel1891 · Oskar Reinhart Collection
83
Ermatingen1894 · Bavarian State Painting Collections
84
At Lake Como1897 · Bavarian State Painting Collections
85
Ermatingen am Bodensee1894
86
Clouds1900 · Berlinische Galerie
87
In the Garden of Love1899
88
Hembsbach im Odenwald1905 · Pomeranian State Museum
89
Kloster Amorbach, Landstraße1899
90
Ida Görz on Horseback1902
91
Marbachtal im Odenwald1902 · Anhaltische Genaldegalerie Dessau
92
Erna von Holzhausen1901 · Kurpfälzisches Museum
93
Mausbachtal bei Stift Neuburg1902 · Kurpfälzisches Museum
94
Einzug Friedrich des Siegreichen in Heidelberg1902 · Kurpfälzisches Museum
95
The Equestrienne Ida Görz1901
96
Donkey with Sack of Flower1905 · Staatliche Kunsthalle Karlsruhe
97
Erna von Holzhausen on Horseback1901 · Bavarian State Painting Collections
98
Schloss Hemsbach with Cannons1907 · Bavarian State Painting Collections
99
Portrait of a Nun in a Summer Garden
100
Lake Starnberger1911 · Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum
The four subjects that come back most often in these originals, each with its finest example.
The 8 museums that hold the most of the paintings on this page.
| Museum | City | Works by Wilhelm Trübner | Paintings from this list |
|---|---|---|---|
 Bavarian State Painting Collections |
Munich | 17 | Blondine with Hat and Fur, Christ in the Tomb II, Portrait of a young man |
 Staatliche Kunsthalle Karlsruhe |
Carlsruhe | 13 | Portrait of the Brewer Eisenhart, called "Der Mächer", Karl Trübner, the Artist's Brother, Leopard Skins |
 Kurpfälzisches Museum |
Heidelberg | 13 | Gustav Mohr, Lady in front of a Tapestry, Georgine Hoffmeister |
 Lenbachhaus |
Munich | 4 | Woman from Brussels with Blue Tie, Cellar Window in Heidelberg Schloß, Linden Tree on Herrenchiemsee |
 Alte Nationalgalerie |
Berlin | 4 | Dog with Sausages (also known as Hail Caesar, We Who are about to Die Salute You), The Painter Carl Schuch, On the Sofa |
 Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum |
Madrid | 3 | Castle Grounds in Lichtenberg in Odenwald, Lake Starnberger |
 Harvard Art Museums |
Cambridge | 2 | Portrait of a Girl with Red hair, Portrait of Fräulein Maria Wüsthoff |
 Augustiner Museum |
Freiburg | 2 | Portrait of an Unknown Lady, Half-length Portrait of a Man in Armor |
Pick a decade to see the original that defines it.
The oil painting In the Church emerges from the shadows, a quiet encounter between the viewer and two elderly figures caught in a moment of devotion. Wilhelm Trübner, a significant voice within German Realism, captures these subjects with a focus that feels immediate and heavy. The work dates to about 1869, a period when the artist's path was being shaped by the transition from the precision of a goldsmith's training…
In this 1879 portrait, we encounter Josef Kainz not as a public figure of the stage, but as a man caught in a moment of quiet, internal gravity. The composition is a bust-length study where the subject is positioned slightly off-center, his gaze directed toward the right side of the frame. There is a profound stillness here. The lighting, which originates from the upper left, carves his features out of…
In this 1888 oil painting, we find ourselves pulled into the enclosed, cluttered atmosphere of an artist's workspace. The composition is dense, almost heavy with the weight of creative preparation. A male figure sits in the foreground, his back to us, acting as a silent witness to the scene unfolding before him. He faces a seated female model, whose white blouse catches the light, providing a sharp, luminous contrast to…
In the 1891 work titled Battle of the Titans, the artist Wilhelm Trübner presents a scene of intense physical struggle. The subject matter focuses on a conflict between titans or gods, rendered through a series of muscular, nude figures. These figures are intertwined with horses amidst a backdrop of swirling clouds. The depiction centers on a struggle that suggests themes of power, conflict, and primordial chaos.
A quiet gravity fills the room as we encounter this bust-length portrait of a middle-aged man. He sits slightly off-center, his gaze drifting toward the left of the frame as if lost in a private thought. The air around him feels heavy, thick with the muted tones of dark browns, blacks, and deep ochres that define his world. A crisp white collar cuts through the darkness, providing a sharp point…
In "Bust of a Young Girl with Loose Red Hair" by Wilhelm Trübner, the viewer meets a single female figure in a close-up bust view. The composition centers her face within a heavy, undulating mass of flowing hair. This hair, rendered in deep auburn and chestnut tones, frames the subject and anchors the portrait. The perspective remains at eye-level, creating an intimate, direct encounter with the girl. She exists in…
Portrait of Actor Josef Kainz (1879), Kunsthalle Bremen, Bremen. Studio scene (1888) and Dog with Plate of Sausages (Caesar at the Rubicon) (1878) come next.
28 years old: Portrait of Actor Josef Kainz dates from 1879, and Wilhelm Trübner was born in 1851.
Portrait of Actor Josef Kainz, Studio scene, Dog with Plate of Sausages (Caesar at the Rubicon), Boy with ruff, Portrait of an Old Man, Selfportrait, Woman from Brussels with Blue Tie, Blondine with Hat and Fur, Christ in the Tomb II and Landwehr Officer. The ranking above gives each one's year and museum.
Our catalog holds 122 works by Wilhelm Trübner, dated from 1869 to 1914.
Mostly in Bavarian State Painting Collections (Munich), Staatliche Kunsthalle Karlsruhe (Carlsruhe) and Kurpfälzisches Museum (Heidelberg). The museum table above lists them all.
In 1870s: 47 of the 100 works on this page were made then, Portrait of Actor Josef Kainz among them.
On this page, the earliest is In the Church (1869) and the latest Karl Haberstock (1914).
Man (20), Portrait (19) and Woman (13), across the 100 works on this page.
Oil On Canvas, for 23 of the 100 works on this page.
Realism, judging by the originals on this page.
Blondine with Hat and Fur, Christ in the Tomb II and Portrait of a young man: the Bavarian State Painting Collections, Munich holds 17 of the works on this page.
Born in Heidelberg, Wilhelm Trübner emerged as a profound voice within the landscape of German Realism. His journey into the world of fine art began not with a brush, but with the meticulous precision of a goldsmith; after beginning his training in Hanau, he encountered the classicist painter Anselm Feuerbach, whose encouragement redirected his path toward the canvas. This early intersection of craftsmanship and classical inspiration laid the foundation for a career defined by technical mastery and an unwavering commitment to the truth of the natural world. As he moved through the Kunstschule in Karlsruhe and later the Kunstacademie in Munich, Trübner became part of a transformative era in European painting, shaped by the winds of change blowing from both the local German traditions and the radical innovations of France.
Trübner’s artistic identity was deeply intertwined with the Leibl Circle, a group of artists that included figures such as Hans Thoma and Carl Schuch. This collective sought to move away from the rigid, often stale academic traditions of the time, favoring instead an unsentimental realism. His development was significantly catalyzed by his encounters with the works of Gustave Courbet, whose alla prima method—working directly and quickly from nature—offered a liberating alternative to the labored processes of the past. This influence, combined with the spontaneous yet restrained spirit he encountered in the art of Manet during his travels through Paris, allowed Trübner to cultivate a style that was both deeply grounded in reality and exquisitely atmospheric.
The essence of Trübner’s work lies in his ability to capture the ephemeral qualities of light and the psychological depth of his subjects. Whether rendering the quiet dignity of a portrait or the sprawling majesty of a woodland scene, his technique emphasizes the interplay of shadow and illumination. In his landscapes, such as the evocative Forest Interior, he employs a painterly approach where colors are allowed to breathe, creating a rhythmic movement across the canvas. His use of golden hues, amber, and ochre can make a forest appear to glow from within, transforming a mere botanical study into a meditative experience on the passage of time and the grandeur of nature.
His portraiture is equally remarkable for its ability to convey profound stillness and internal reflection. In works like Karl Haberstock, Trübner captures more than just a likeness; he records a state of being. Through deliberate brushwork and a sophisticated command over texture, he invites the viewer into a moment of contemplative repose, where the subject's very presence anchors the composition. This ability to balance the tactile richness of his medium with an ethereal, atmospheric transcendence remains his most enduring achievement, marking him as a master who could find the extraordinary within the ordinary.
Throughout his life, Trübner’s work served as a bridge between the rigorous realism of the mid-19th century and the more fluid, expressive movements that followed. His contributions to the Leibl Circle helped solidify a specific German aesthetic that valued honesty, texture, and the direct observation of nature. His legacy is found in:
Trübner’s life was also marked by personal connections to the art world, notably through his marriage to the German artist Alice Trübner. Together, they existed within a vibrant cultural milieu that helped shape the trajectory of modern German painting. His work remains a testament to a period of intense artistic discovery, where the pursuit of "art for art's sake" met a deep respect for the tangible beauty of the world.
