Friedrich Bodenmüller

Born on August 11, 1845 in the artistic atmosphere of Munich, Friedrich Bodenmüller was fascinated by colors and brushstrokes from an early age. The son of a respected painter, he was born and would soon grow up to become an important artist himself.

As the brother of the talented painter Alphons Bodenmüller, Friedrich was born into the world of art. His journey began at the renowned Munich Art Academy in 1861, where he perfected his craft under the guidance of the respected teacher Josef Schlotthauer.

In the years that followed, Bodenmüller devoted himself primarily to biblical scenes and genre paintings, expressing the human experience and spiritual heritage in his works. But life had other plans for him.

In July 1870, Friedrich and his brother Otto decided to volunteer to join the Bavarian army and took part in the Franco-Prussian War of 1870/71. As an officer, he experienced the horrors of war at first hand and found inspiration for his later works in the battles and street fights of that time.

The canvas became his stage on which he captured the episodes of the war – be it the street fighting in Versailles, an episode from the Battle of Sedan or the Bavarian troops in the Battle of Wörth. But his artistic vision knew no bounds.

Bodenmüller’s works also included fantastic, allegorical motifs, such as his “Fantasies for Beethoven’s Cissmoll Sonata”, which blurred the boundaries between reality and imagination. From the 1880s, however, he increasingly returned to genre and history painting, where he expressed his abilities as a storyteller and chronicler of the human soul.