Christian Klaus, the Debtor, 19th Century Genre Scene Painting

19th century

Sold by Brave Fine Art

Description

A fine late 19th-century oil on canvas by German painter, Christian Claus (1843-1893). A seated older gentleman is clutching a letter while his wife counts through a pile of small coins. Another gentleman, presumably a debt collector, stands alongside them and leans on the window sill.

It’s a painting that reveals a deeper significance when you consider the abundance of symbolism. For instance, note how the composition is designed to give priority to the tallest figures - first the collector, who towers above, then the seated gentleman, then the lady, and finally the cat. The cat, which is clearly hungry with no food in sight, is looking towards the seated lady who has other matters on her mind.

And if you cast your eyes upwards, you’ll notice a birdcage - the bird trapped unable to escape its simple confines. While in the far corner, the wall is covered in religious icons as the couple look towards the divine for spiritual intervention.

Christian Klaus was a highly skilled German painter that trained in Nuremberg and Munich. He exhibited in Vienna, Berlin, Dusseldorf and Dresden and won a medal in 1869.

The painting is signed/dated in the lower right and housed within a period frame that could be its original.

Medium: Oil on canvas

Overall size: 23” x 26” / 59cm x 67cm

Year of creation: 1881

Provenance: Austria

Condition: Craquelure in areas and several minor paint losses. Frame with some age-related wear.

Artist’s auction highlight: £4,070 achieved for ‘Grossmutter Erzählt’ at auction in 1996.

Physical Dimensions

Height

67cm (26.38")

Width

59cm (23.23")

Depth

4cm (1.57")

Declaration

Brave Fine Art has dated this piece to the 19th Century.

Reference Numbers

Sellingantiques Reference

SA779786

Description

It’s a painting that reveals a deeper significance when you consider the abundance of symbolism.

“

For instance, note how the composition is designed to give priority to the tallest figures - first the collector, who towers above, then the seated gentleman, then the lady, and finally the cat.

Brave Fine Art

The cat, which is clearly hungry with no food in sight, is looking towards the seated lady who has other matters on her mind.

fig 1. Christian Klaus, The Debtor, 19th Century Genre Scene Painting — fig 1. Christian Klaus, the Debtor, 19th Century Genre Scene Painting

And if you cast your eyes upwards, you’ll notice a birdcage - the bird trapped unable to escape its simple confines. While in the far corner, the wall is covered in religious icons as the couple look towards the divine for spiritual intervention.

fig 2. Christian Klaus, The Debtor, 19th Century Genre Scene Painting — fig 2. Christian Klaus, the Debtor, 19th Century Genre Scene Painting

Christian Klaus was a highly skilled German painter that trained in Nuremberg and Munich. He exhibited in Vienna, Berlin, Dusseldorf and Dresden and won a medal in 1869.

The painting is signed/dated in the lower right and housed within a period frame that could be its original.