Gustaf Wilhelm Palm - Ruins of the Imperial Castle Outside Split in Croatia
Regular price €1.200Gustaf Wilhelm Palm (1810–1890) Sweden
Ruins of the Imperial Castle Outside Split in Croatia
pencil and watercolour
unframed: 23.6 x 29.2 cm (9 1/4 x 11 1/2 in)
framed: 40 x 45 cm (15 3/4 x 17 3/4 in)
signed G.W. [a palm tree] and dated 1840 and bearing the inscription “Daßs Keysers Schloss in Croatia n. d. n. Sightseeing.[eichnet] de 21 October 840 in gesellschaft mit Sne Excelens Baron v Ottenfels incognito.
Essay:
In 1837, Gustaf Wilhelm Palm left Stockholm for Berlin to seek treatment for an eye disease. By August 1838, he had settled in Vienna, where he remained for over two years. However, Palm’s ultimate dream was to travel to Italy. After visiting Hungary and Trieste, he finally embarked on his journey to Venice in November 1840, beginning a decade-long stay in Italy.
While in Vienna, Palm exhibited works at the Academy of Fine Arts and the Art Association's exhibitions. In 1840, he presented several paintings featuring local landscapes, including View of the Ruins of Dürenstein by the Danube and View of Gutenstein Castle in Steiermark. The latter was purchased by the Art Association in Stockholm in 1841 (G. Lindgren, Landskapsmålaren G. W. Palm 1810–1890, 1934, pp. 60, 64–65).
During his time in Vienna, Palm became acquainted with Baron Franz Xaver von Ottenfels (1778–1851), a confidant of Chancellor Klemens von Metternich. Von Ottenfels’ eldest son, Moritz Franz von Ottenfels (1820–1907), would go on to become one of Palm’s closest friends. In September 1840, Palm was invited to the von Ottenfels family estate, Horwatzska, in Hungary.
From Horwatzska, Palm and Franz Xaver von Ottenfels undertook an excursion to Croatia, where the von Ottenfels family owned the castle of Bežanec. The ruins depicted in this watercolour were likely drawn during this journey and are believed to represent the medieval castle of Klis, located in the mountains outside Split. This castle, once the seat of Croatian kings, was later converted into a fortress during the Ottoman wars.
Palm’s inscription on the watercolour includes the term "incognito," referring to Baron Franz Xaver von Ottenfels’ frequent use of the pseudonym Henry Werner during his travels. After leaving Horwatzska, Palm continued to Trieste in Italy, arriving at the end of October (Lindgren, op. cit., pp. 67–68).
We believe in simplicity; Therefore, all orders ship to your door without any additional costs for transport. We use professional shipping companies and pack all orders carefully with special art shipping boxes. All prices on our website include international shipping and transport insurance.
Be aware that you as a customer are responsible for paying any taxes such as import tax in the country of destination (applies to orders outside the EU).
