WELCOME
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DasAuftragswerk „Tiroler Landsturm im Jahre1809“, dasalsdie früheste
bildhafteDokumentationdesTirolerFreiheitskriegesnebenAltmutter gilt,
wurdenachmehrerenFassungen1816vollendet. KochsLandsturmverkör-
pertdas romantische Ideal desunverdorbenenVolkesgegendieObrigkeit. //
Thecommissionedwork “TyroleanMilitia in1809” that isknownas the first
figurativedocumentationof theTyroleanWar of LiberationbesidesAltmut-
ter’spainting,was completedafter various versions in1816. Koch’swork
epitomizes the romantic ideal of the ingenuouspeopleagainst authorities.
THE LANDSCAPE
PAINTER
JosephAntonKoch is renownedespecially
forhis
impressive landscape images. However, anexhibition in
theTyroleanStateMuseumFerdinandeum focusseson
a subjectofhisworks thathasn’tbeendiscussedmuch
so far: his religiouslymotivated imagesandhis relation
to theNazarenes. //
MONIKAFRENZEL, PHOTOS:WOLFGANGLACKNER, TLM
J
oseph Anton Koch is an individualist, Dante specialist and tra-
veller –born in1768, died in1839, buried in theGerman ceme-
terynext to theSaint Peter inRome. TheTyroleanartist, who
spentmostofhis life inRome,wasborn intoapoor family inElb-
ingenalp. His talent for drawingwas already recognized inhis younger
yearsandasa result theboywas sent toa school inStuttgartwith the
support of thebishop.
The constraints of the school “Hohe Carlsschule”, the widespread
academicismsuchas itspoliticalpreferences for the ideasof theFrench
Revolution,madehisstay theremoreandmoredifficultand finallypus-
hed the youngboy to runaway. In1795, he reached Italy throughSwit-
zerland, where he stayed for the rest of his life - except for one short
break - until his death in Vienna. Koch found his second home in Ro-
me. He spentmany summerswithhis young art colleagues, the “Lucas
brotherhood”, whowere later alsoknownas the “Nazarenes” inOlevano
Romano, close toSubiacco. Their goalwas to reformarts in the spirit of
Christianity, atwhich ItalianandGermanartists servedas their rolemo-
dels. They influenced art throughout thewhole epochof Romanticism.
Kochwas friends with some representatives of this artmovement and
was also influenced by them, but he always kept his own style, which
becamemanifest especially inhisamazinglypainted landscape images.
Therefore Koch is considered themost important re-discoverer of
the “heroic landscape”,whosecreatorswereNicolasPoussinandClau-
de Lorrain. Koch had already known and valued their works since his
years of study. Unspoilt areaswith rough rocks and a dramatic, most-
lyominous skywere typical elements. Oneof thisperiod’smajorwork
is the image of the “Bernes Oberland”, which canbe seenbesides nu-
merous images and letters of the artist, handwritten certificates and
drafts of theAndreasHofermonument in thewinter exhibitionof the
Ferdinandeum this year.
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EXHIBITION „JOSEPHANTONKOCH–
AFORMERNAZARENE?“
until 11
th
January2015
in theTyroleanStateMuseumFerdinandeum
MuseumStreet 15, 6020 Innsbruck
Der Tiroler Landsturm im Jahre1809, Öl auf Zeder, 1819 //
TheTyroleanMilitia in1809 cedar oil 1819
BernerOberland (DasHaslital beiMeiringen), 1817, Öl auf Leinwand //
BernesOberland (theHaslital valleyatMeiringen), 1817, Oil on canvas
