Karl Schickhardt

Karl Schickhardt, born on July 7, 1866 in Esslingen and died on February 7, 1933 in Stuttgart, was an important landscape painter from Württemberg and lecturer at the Stuttgart School of Art. In his works, he mainly devoted himself to depicting his Swabian homeland, in particular the Swabian Alb.

As the son of Hermann Schickhardt (1826-1880), a senior councillor of justice, and his wife Rosalie Karoline, née Brodhag (1834-1902), who came from a respected industrialist family, Karl Schickhardt was born into a wealthy family. His mother supported his interest in art after his father died. Schickhardt studied at the Stuttgart art school under the guidance of Albert Kappis and Jakob Grünenwald from 1884 to 1887. He then continued his training from 1887 to 1892 as a private pupil of Josef Wenglein in Munich, where he concentrated primarily on landscape painting. During this time, he undertook study trips within Germany and to Italy.

From the fall of 1892, Schickhardt lived in Stuttgart again, where he was employed as a lecturer at the art school. In his studio at Urbanstraße 53, he devoted himself with great passion to the depiction of Swabian landscapes. His preferred motifs were the Swabian Alb, the Lauchert valley and the area around Rottenburg, in particular Bad Niedernau. He also painted other landscapes such as Lake Constance, the Filstal valley and the Neckar valley.

In 1911, Schickhardt was awarded the title of professor by King Wilhelm II, which underlined his recognition as an important artist. During his lifetime, he took part in several exhibitions, including one in Rottenburg in 1914, which was attended by the King, and an exhibition at the Württembergischer Kunstverein in Stuttgart in 1927.

In his later years, Schickhardt was often out and about in Stuttgart, accompanied by his dog Stumperle. He was also a regular guest at the Herrenstammtisch in the Hindenburgbau.

After his death in February 1933, Karl Schickhardt was buried in the Prague cemetery, as was his wife Alice, who died eight months later. Although Schickhardt was financially independent, he was reluctant to part with his paintings. After his death, many of his works, including intimate oil sketches and large murals, were found in his estate. An auction was held at the Otto Greiner art dealership to settle the estate.

Schickhardt left behind a significant artistic legacy which, despite some works in public collections, is largely scattered in private ownership. In honor of his contribution to the promotion of Bad Niedernau and the region, various places have been named after him, including a viewpoint on the Albverein Trail and a street in Bad Niedernau. His memory is also preserved in the Schickhardtstube in Bad Niedernau’s former spa hotel.

Schickhardt’s technique is characterized by skill and the use of refined means, especially in the use of pastel and tempera, both in underpainting and in the depiction of clouds and water. His works bear witness to his precise observation of nature and his fine impressionistic style, which captures landscapes in all their splendor and vibrancy.