Famous Artists in Wallraf-Richartz-Museum: the Masters of the Originals

1853–1890 Born in Zundert, Netherlands Post-Impressionism 3 originals at Wallraf-Richartz-Museum

Vincent Willem Van Gogh was born on March 30, 1853, in Zundert, Netherlands. His brother Theo was born on 1 May 1857, and their connection would remain a constant through the many letters they exchanged over the years. The quiet village of Zundert in the Brabant region was where Vincent Willem Van Gogh was born. In 1873, he moved to the London branch of Goupil & Cie, where he remained until May 1875.

Originals at Wallraf-Richartz-Museum

• The Langlois Bridge (1888)
• Langlois Bridge at Arles, The 2
• Cottage with Trees 4

Vincent van Gogh: the life and 2,857 originals

1840–1926 Born in Paris, France Impressionism 5 originals at Wallraf-Richartz-Museum

Born in Paris, France, on 14 November 1840, Claude Monet entered a world of diverging expectations. Tragedy arrived in January 1857, when Monet was sixteen years old. In 1883, Monet moved to a house and property in Giverny, a village northwest of Paris. In 1892, he married Alice Hoschedé, a union that provided a sense of stability as he continued his obsessive study of light and atmosphere.

Originals at Wallraf-Richartz-Museum

• Spring in Vetheuil (1880)
• Water Lilies (1915)
• The Seine at Asnieres (1873)
• Fishing Boats on the Beach at Etretat (1884)

Claude Monet: the life and 2,448 originals

1839–1906 Born in Aix-en-Provence, France Post-Impressionism 2 originals at Wallraf-Richartz-Museum

Born on January 19, 1839, at 28 rue de l'Opéra in Aix-en-Provence, Paul Cézanne entered a world of established order. In 1860, he made the decisive choice to abandon his law studies, turning his focus entirely toward the pursuit of painting. By 1859, his technical proficiency was evident when he earned second prize in the school's figure studies course.

Originals at Wallraf-Richartz-Museum

• Still life with pears (1895)
• Landscape in the West of Aix-en-Provence (1886)

Paul Cézanne: the life and 1,227 originals

1577–1640 Born in Siegen, Germany Baroque 5 originals at Wallraf-Richartz-Museum

Born on 28 June 1577 in Siegen, Germany, his early years were shaped by the religious instability of the era. By the time he began working with Otto van Veen between 1594 and 1598, Rubens had already acquired the technical vocabulary necessary to move beyond simple representation into the realm of sophisticated narrative art. In 1600, Rubens left the Low Countries for Italy, a move that fundamentally altered his visual language.

Originals at Wallraf-Richartz-Museum

• The Stigmatization of St. Francis (1616)
• The miraculous draught of fishes (1610)
• The Holy Family with Elizabeth and John (1634)
• Juno and Argus (1611)

Peter Paul Rubens: the life and 1,641 originals

1863–1944 Born in Ådalsbruk, Norway Expressionism 4 originals at Wallraf-Richartz-Museum

Edvard Munch was a Norwegian painter whose life was deeply tied to the landscapes and the heavy atmosphere of his homeland. Edvard Munch was born in 1863 amidst the stark landscapes of Norway. In 1868, his mother died from tuberculosis, a loss that left a heavy mark on the young boy.

Originals at Wallraf-Richartz-Museum

• Generations (1904)
• Woman in Blue against Blue Water (1891)
• Four Girls on the Bridge (1905)
• Beach Landscape (1889)

Edvard Munch: the life and 2,121 originals

1848–1903 Born in Paris, France Post-Impressionism 4 originals at Wallraf-Richartz-Museum

Born in Paris in 1848, Eugène Henri Paul Gauguin entered a world of shifting social and political currents. The boy spent his childhood in Peru until the age of six, a period that left an indelible mark on his memory. Before finding his footing in the art world, Gauguin’s life took a more rugged, maritime turn. Between 1879 and 1886, he was accepted into the Paris Salon, appearing in the prestigious exhibition annually.

Originals at Wallraf-Richartz-Museum

• Returning from the harvest (Manuring) (1884)
• Young boy from Brittany (1889)
• Port de Grenelle (1875)
• Near Rouen (1884)

Paul Gauguin: the life and 928 originals

1819–1877 Born in Ornans, France Realism 6 originals at Wallraf-Richartz-Museum

Jean Désiré Gustave Courbet was born on June 10, 1819, in Ornans, France. Growing up in the department of Doubs, his early years were shaped by the landscape of his home. In 1839, he moved to Paris. Later, Bruyas commissioned The Meeting, also known as Bonjour Monsieur Courbet, which reflected this established connection between patron and painter. In 1855, rather than retreating, Courbet took a more direct approach to his audience.

Originals at Wallraf-Richartz-Museum

• The Hunt Breakfast (1858)
• View of the Parc de Crete over Clarens (1874)
• Beach near Trouville (1865)
• Chateau de Chillon (1873)

Gustave Courbet: the life and 788 originals

1774–1840 Born in Greifswald, Germany Romanticism 3 originals at Wallraf-Richartz-Museum

" Evening Landscape with Two Men " (1830), a quiet scene of twilight contemplation.

Originals at Wallraf-Richartz-Museum

• Evening on the River (1820)
• In the Snow (1825)
• Ship in the early morning fog (1821)

Caspar David Friedrich: the life and 297 originals

1841–1919 Born in Limoges, France Impressionism 4 originals at Wallraf-Richartz-Museum

Born on February 25, 1841, in Limoges, France, Pierre-Auguste Renoir entered a world of practical craftsmanship. In 1845, the family moved to Paris, seeking the opportunities offered by the capital. When the family moved to Paris in 1845, the necessity of supporting his kin dictated the direction of his youth. By the third exhibition in 1877, his commitment to this new way of seeing was evident as he presented twenty-one paintings to the public.

Originals at Wallraf-Richartz-Museum

• Villeneuve-les-Avignon (1901)
• Portrait of the couple Sisley (1868)
• Jean Renoir sewing (1898)
• On the Banks of the Seine at Rueil (1879)

Pierre-Auguste Renoir: the life and 2,287 originals