Carl Bolze

Carl Bolze (1832-1913) was born in Oberlanzendorf near Vienna. Although his father owned an oil mill and it seemed likely that Carl would take over the factory, he showed his artistic talent at an early age. After the death of his parents, he followed his inclination and moved to Munich with his family in 1869. There he joined the Munich Artists’ Cooperative and developed his skills through self-study and exchanges with colleagues.

The 1870s and 1880s were Bolze’s most productive creative period. His landscape paintings mainly depict areas in the Oberland, such as Lake Chiemsee, Lake Kochelsee and the Inn Valley. Bolze had a preference for inconspicuous motifs such as lakeshores, forest paths, grasses and cloud formations. Despite an eye disease that limited his vision, he continued to paint until the creation of his last known oil painting in 1903.

Bolze occasionally took part in art exhibitions, but his paintings were not generally recognized during his lifetime. It was not until 1984 that he was discovered by Hans Peter Defregger, a grandson of the famous Franz von Defregger. A year later, a memorial exhibition was held at the Bayerische Landesbank in Munich.

Some of his works are now in museums such as the Museum in Breslau, the Städtische Galerie in Munich and the Bavarian State Painting Collection. Despite his financially carefree life, Bolze was not dependent on selling his paintings.

With his love of nature and his focus on detail, Bolze was able to capture a special atmosphere in his landscape paintings. Much of his work dates from the 1870s and 1880s and depicts the beauty of the Bavarian landscape. It was not until many years after his death that he received the recognition he deserved.