Perlberg – Mother and Daughter in Front of the Temple of Neptune in Paestum

Friedrich Perlberg (1848 Nuremberg – 1921 Munich)

MOTHER AND DAUGHTER IN FRONT OF THE TEMPLE OF NEPTUNE IN PAESTUM

Watercolor on paper, 44.2 x 67.1

Signed lower right: F. Perlberg and titled lower left: Neptuns Tempel in Pästum

The exact reproduction of the Temple of Poseidon in Paestum demonstrates that Friedrich Perlberg was not only a skilled landscape painter but also an excellent architectural painter. He added charm and local color to the watercolor through the decorative figures, mother and daughter in traditional Campania costumes. Additionally, the comparison of sizes between the people and the architecture allowed him to represent the dimensions and majesty of the temple ruins.

Perlberg was one of those traveling painters who roamed the world in search of interesting motifs. With the constant expansion of trade routes to the colonies, the opportunities for individuals to travel also improved. Those who traveled wanted to have a painting as a memento. Those who could not leave home were pleased that the wide world reached them through painting. In addition to Italy, which in the 19th century did not leave any landscape painter indifferent, Perlberg painted Spain, Egypt, Nubia, Sudan, and the United States, and in 1898 traveled to the Holy Land in the retinue of Emperor Wilhelm II. His magnificent watercolors were highly sought after and often reproduced on postcards.