Alexander Rothaug (Vienna 1870-1946 Vienna)
Sketchbook 1 [Studienbuch]
circa 1930
pen and black ink and pencil, partly with watercolors, partly with colored chalk, on wove paper; in original spiral binding
29 pages
29 x 20,5 cm
signed several times in black pencil or pen "Alexander Rothaug"; often titled or inscribed
The Daulton Collection
Provenance:
ex coll. artist Ernst Fuchs (Austrian, 1930-1915)
Discussion:
"'Anyone who had access to Master Rothaug's workshop was
certainly not a little astonished at the sheer incalculable number of
conscientiously precise studies in color and form, with which dozens of
sketchbooks, whole stacks of portfolios and some cupboards are filled; studies
that convincingly show that the master stands on solid ground when he creates
one of his great compositions, apparently created purely from fantasy or from
the realm of poetry and legend.' (Arthur Roessler, "A German Master of Art
- A Short Speech on the painter Alexander Rothaug,' in: The Faithful Eckart,
12th year, issue 4, January 1935, p. 250 ff). In the sketchbook, between
carefully and finely executed, colored preliminary drawings for paintings, there
are numerous studies of anatomy, figures, landscapes and animals, allegories,
personifications and symbols, supplemented by compositional sketches and color
instructions. There are, among others, the following topics: The Nibelungen, amazon dance, Apparition of the Virgin Mary, angels making music, Assumption of the
Virgin Mary, church interior, the chariot of the god Krschna (sic), church
window designs, the path to strength and power, spring morning, centaur and
nymph, the Nile bride, Achilles and Penthesilea, sleeping forest nymph, spring
nymph, sleeping Dido, dreaming Ariadne, troglodytes, Orpheus, as well as
movement studies of athletes, often of tennis players, and various
self-portraits by Rothaug. In between, a small text 'Nature gave man the mind' (on the development of weapons, sheet 14 verso) and again and again small
mnemonics." B
"‘Wer Zutritt in Meister Rothaugs Werkstatt hatte, der
verwunderte sich gewiss nicht wenig über die schier unübersehbare Menge der
gewissenhaft genauen Studien in Farbe und Form, womit Dutzende Skizzenbücher,
ganze Stapel Mappen und einige Schränke angefüllt sind; Studien, die
überzeugend dartun, auf welch gründlichem Grund der Meister steht, wenn er eine
seiner großen, anscheinend rein aus der Fantasie oder dem Gestaltenreich der
Dichtung und Sage geschöpften Kompositionen schafft.’ (Arthur Roessler, Ein
deutscher Kunstmeister - Eine kleine Rede auf den Maler Alexander Rothaug, in:
Der getreue Eckart, 12. Jg., Heft 4, Januar 1935, S. 250 ff). In dem
Studienbuch stehen zwischen sorgfältig und fein ausgeführten, farbigen
Vorzeichnungen für Gemälde zahlreiche Anatomie-, Figuren-, Landschafts- und
Tierstudien, Allegorien, Personifikationen und Symbole, ergänzt durch
Kompositionsskizzen und Farbanweisungen. Es finden sich u. a. folgende Themen:
Die Nibelungen, Waffentanz der Amazonen, Marienerscheinung, Musizierende
Engelwesen, Mariae Himmelfahrt, Kircheninneres, Der Wagen des Gottes Krschna
(sic), Kirchenfensterentwürfe, Der Weg zu Stärke u. Kraft, Frühlingsmorgen,
Kentaur und Nymphe, Die Nilbraut, Achilles und Penthesilea, Schlafende
Waldnymphe, Quellnymphe, Schlafende Dido, Träumende Ariadne, Troglodyten,
Orpheus, zudem immer wieder Bewegungsstudien zu Sportlern, häufig zu Tennisspielern
und verschiedene Selbstbildnisse Rothaugs.
Dazwischen ein kleiner Text ‘Die Natur gab dem Menschen den
Verstand’ (zur Entwickung von Waffen, Blatt 14 verso) und immer wieder kleine
Merksätze." B
"Wer Zutritt in Meister Rothaugs Werkstatt hatte, der verwunderte sich gewiss nicht wenig über die schier unübersehbare Menge der gewissenhaft genauen Studien in Farbe und Form, womit Dutzende Skizzenbücher, ganze Stapel Mappen und einige Schränke angefüllt sind; Studien, die überzeugend dartun, auf welch gründlichem Grund der Meister steht, wenn er eine seiner großen, anscheinend rein aus der Fantasie oder dem Gestaltenreich der Dichtung und Sage geschöpften Kompositionen schafft." (Arthur Roessler, Ein deutscher Kunstmeister - Eine kleine Rede auf den Maler Alexander Rothaug, in: Der getreue Eckart, 12. Jg., Heft 4, Januar 1935, S. 250 ff). In dem Studienbuch stehen zwischen sorgfältig und fein ausgeführten, farbigen Vorzeichnungen für Gemälde zahlreiche Anatomie-, Figuren-, Landschafts- und Tierstudien, Allegorien, Personifikationen und Symbole, ergänzt durch Kompositionsskizzen und Farbanweisungen. Es finden sich u. a. folgende Themen: Die Nibelungen, Waffentanz der Amazonen, Marienerscheinung, Musizierende Engelwesen, Mariae Himmelfahrt, Kircheninneres, Der Wagen des Gottes Krschna (sic), Kirchenfensterentwürfe, Der Weg zu Stärke u. Kraft, Frühlingsmorgen, Kentaur und Nymphe, Die Nilbraut, Achilles und Penthesilea, Schlafende Waldnymphe, Quellnymphe, Schlafende Dido, Träumende Ariadne, Troglodyten, Orpheus, zudem immer wieder Bewegungsstudien zu Sportlern, häufig zu Tennisspielern und verschiedene Selbstbildnisse Rothaugs.
Dazwischen ein kleiner Text "Die Natur gab dem Menschen den Verstand" (zur Entwickung von Waffen, Blatt 14 verso) und immer wieder kleine Merksätze.
"Anyone who had access to Master Rothaug's workshop was certainly not a little astonished at the sheer incalculable number of conscientiously precise studies in color and form, with which dozens of sketchbooks, whole stacks of portfolios and some cupboards are filled; studies that convincingly show which The master stands on solid ground when he creates one of his great compositions, apparently created purely from fantasy or from the realm of poetry and legend." (Arthur Roessler, A German master of art - A short speech on the painter Alexander Rothaug, in: The faithful Eckart, 12th year, issue 4, January 1935, p. 250 ff). In the study book, between carefully and finely executed, colored preliminary drawings for paintings, there are numerous studies of anatomy, figures, landscapes and animals, allegories, personifications and symbols, supplemented by compositional sketches and color instructions. There are u. a. The following topics: The Nibelungen, Amazon Dance, Apparition of the Virgin Mary, Angels making music, Assumption of the Virgin Mary, Church interior, The chariot of the god Krschna (sic), Church window designs, The path to strength and power, Spring morning, Centaur and nymph, The Nile bride, Achilles and Penthesilea, sleeping forest nymph, spring nymph, sleeping Dido, dreaming Ariadne, troglodytes, Orpheus, as well as movement studies of athletes, often of tennis players, and various self-portraits by Rothaug.
In between a small text "Nature gave man the mind" (on the development of weapons, sheet 14 verso) and again and again small mnemonics.
"Anyone who had access to Master Rothaug's workshop was certainly not a little astonished at the sheer incalculable number of conscientiously precise studies in color and form, with which dozens of sketchbooks, whole stacks of portfolios and some cupboards are filled; studies that convincingly show which The master stands on solid ground when he creates one of his great compositions, apparently created purely from fantasy or from the realm of poetry and legend." (Arthur Roessler, A German master of art - A short speech on the painter Alexander Rothaug, in: The faithful Eckart, 12th year, issue 4, January 1935, p. 250 ff). In the study book, between carefully and finely executed, colored preliminary drawings for paintings, there are numerous studies of anatomy, figures, landscapes and animals, allegories, personifications and symbols, supplemented by compositional sketches and color instructions. There are u. a. The following topics: The Nibelungen, Amazon Dance, Apparition of the Virgin Mary, Angels making music, Assumption of the Virgin Mary, Church interior, The chariot of the god Krschna (sic), Church window designs, The path to strength and power, Spring morning, Centaur and nymph, The Nile bride, Achilles and Penthesilea, sleeping forest nymph, spring nymph, sleeping Dido, dreaming Ariadne, troglodytes, Orpheus, as well as movement studies of athletes, often of tennis players, and various self-portraits by Rothaug.
In between a small text "Nature gave man the mind" (on the development of weapons, sheet 14 verso) and again and again small mnemonics.
