Julius von Klever is a brilliant representative of the late Romanticism movement in the Russian landscape painting of the late 19th — early 20th centuries. He was born into the family of a Master of Chemistry in Dorpat (Tartu). The future artist spent his early years in an old Estonian town, surrounded by picturesque hills. In 1870, Klever entered the Academy of Arts in St. Petersburg. Only two years later, he was expelled ‘for truancy’ — the academic studies proved too boring for the young man.
Nevertheless, the painter became famous quite early: at the age of 26, Klever received the title of the class artist of the first degree, and two years later, he became an academician. In 1886, he was awarded a gold medal at an exhibition in Berlin. It was a sign of bad taste if a wealthy family did not own at least one painting by Klever.
The artist gradually developed the style of ‘Klever landscapes’ — with golden sunsets and spectacular combinations of colors. His landscape paintings are characterized by a free manner of painting, they are decorative in style, the artist chooses to neglect the details for the sake of making the painting more compelling as a whole. In his best works, the painter always remained a Romantic, instilling a love of nature and of the unhurried life led by an ordinary person far from the hustle and bustle of the city.
Julius von Klever worked a lot from nature and depicted it carefully. Artists and connoisseurs especially admired his small canvases, in which he managed to render the most subtle nuances when portraying nature. In ‘Sunset in a Winter Forest’, the mesmerizing effect is created by the contrast between the foreground and the background, the old knotty fir trees, soaring into the sky, the slightly melted snow. The artist managed to create an atmosphere of mystery and silence. ‘Sunset in a Winter Forest’ evokes one of those melancholic feelings that are shared not only in Russia, but also in the countries of Europe and Asia.
The Irkutsk viewers first saw this painting in 1890 at the opening of the famous charity exhibition ‘Winter Evening in Estland’. Many Irkutsk collectors participated in the exhibition. The painting was donated to the museum in 1920 from the collection of General Alexey Evert, commander of the Irkutsk military district.
Nevertheless, the painter became famous quite early: at the age of 26, Klever received the title of the class artist of the first degree, and two years later, he became an academician. In 1886, he was awarded a gold medal at an exhibition in Berlin. It was a sign of bad taste if a wealthy family did not own at least one painting by Klever.
The artist gradually developed the style of ‘Klever landscapes’ — with golden sunsets and spectacular combinations of colors. His landscape paintings are characterized by a free manner of painting, they are decorative in style, the artist chooses to neglect the details for the sake of making the painting more compelling as a whole. In his best works, the painter always remained a Romantic, instilling a love of nature and of the unhurried life led by an ordinary person far from the hustle and bustle of the city.
Julius von Klever worked a lot from nature and depicted it carefully. Artists and connoisseurs especially admired his small canvases, in which he managed to render the most subtle nuances when portraying nature. In ‘Sunset in a Winter Forest’, the mesmerizing effect is created by the contrast between the foreground and the background, the old knotty fir trees, soaring into the sky, the slightly melted snow. The artist managed to create an atmosphere of mystery and silence. ‘Sunset in a Winter Forest’ evokes one of those melancholic feelings that are shared not only in Russia, but also in the countries of Europe and Asia.
The Irkutsk viewers first saw this painting in 1890 at the opening of the famous charity exhibition ‘Winter Evening in Estland’. Many Irkutsk collectors participated in the exhibition. The painting was donated to the museum in 1920 from the collection of General Alexey Evert, commander of the Irkutsk military district.
