{"product_id":"portrait-study-of-bernhard-koehler-by-august-macke-1913","title":"Portrait Study of Bernhard Koehler by August Macke, 1913","description":"\u003cp\u003eAugust Macke’s \u003cem\u003eBildnisstudie Bernhard Koehler\u003c\/em\u003e (\u003cem\u003ePortrait Study of Bernhard Koehler\u003c\/em\u003e), painted in 1913, presents its elderly sitter at close quarters, his head lowered and his long white beard sharply illuminated against a field of restless colour. Koehler’s grave, inward-looking expression is held in tension with the surrounding blues, yellows, muted greens and flashes of orange. Rather than describing a conventional interior, Macke allows these hues to move freely around the figure, making colour an active part of the portrait’s structure.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThe sitter was the industrialist and collector Bernhard Koehler, a significant patron of modern German art and a supporter of Macke and artists associated with Der Blaue Reiter. The portrait therefore records more than a passing likeness: it brings together an avant-garde painter and one of the figures who helped sustain the artistic culture in which he worked. By 1913, Macke had developed an approach shaped by German Expressionism and the wider European rethinking of colour and form. Strict naturalism gives way here to simplification, strong tonal contrasts and a decorative intensity that remains attentive to individual character.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003eA closer look\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eKoehler occupies most of the vertical composition, yet he sits slightly away from its centre. The resulting imbalance is subtle but effective: the bowed head and downward gaze establish a quiet psychological focus, while the colour behind him seems to circulate with considerably greater energy. Deep blue gathers along the left side; towards the upper right, a glowing area of yellow opens around the sitter’s head and shoulder. Between them, softer greens and orange-brown passages produce a shifting, layered space rather than a fixed architectural setting.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThe face and beard contain some of the painting’s most concentrated handling. Short, pale strokes give the beard its soft, slightly unruly texture, while warmer notes model the brow, cheek and nose without smoothing away the evidence of the brush. Dark clothing anchors the lower half of the portrait, relieved by pale orange accents around the collar and by the light falling across the upper garment. Koehler’s hands gather near a lightly painted, angular form at the lower centre—perhaps a book or folded paper—though Macke leaves it suggestive rather than precisely defined.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eSmall colour exchanges bind figure and background together. Yellow flecks punctuate the blue at the left, while warm reflections pass from the surrounding orange into the sitter’s clothing and hands. These repetitions prevent the figure from appearing cut out against the background. At the same time, the white beard, dark coat and illuminated upper-right field create a firm sequence of light and shadow, directing attention first to the head and then down through the folded posture.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003eContext and significance\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eMacke was among the leading artists connected with Der Blaue Reiter, the Munich-based circle that sought new expressive possibilities in colour and form during the years before the First World War. His work often favoured lucid silhouettes and harmonious colour relationships, but this portrait has a more agitated surface than many of his serene scenes of promenades, gardens and shop windows. Its brushwork remains visibly active, and the background approaches abstraction without losing its function as a setting for the sitter.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003ePainted only a year before Macke’s death in 1914, \u003cem\u003eBildnisstudie Bernhard Koehler\u003c\/em\u003e belongs to the artist’s remarkably compressed mature period. Its enduring force lies in the meeting of opposites: an introspective pose surrounded by animated colour, an individual likeness built from broad simplifications, and the quiet authority of age rendered through an emphatically modern pictorial language.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eChoosing the right size and finish\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eArtwork can feel intimate at smaller sizes and dramatically more architectural at larger ones. Use the room preview, model image and size guide to see how the proportions and scale will work in your space.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eIf you need an exact size, specialist framing or help planning a larger display, \u003ca href=\"\/it\/pages\/contact-us\"\u003eask our workshop for advice\u003c\/a\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe model in the listing images is holding the 16x20in (40x50cm) version of this art print.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWhere personalisation is available, you can add a short title or dedication, or one considered visual detail. \u003ca href=\"\/it\/pages\/map-personalisation\"\u003eSee examples of personalised artwork\u003c\/a\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eChoose Original to retain the colour and character of the source artwork, or Aged for a warmer, more antique appearance. \u003ca target=\"_blank\" href=\"\/it\/pages\/sepia-aged-maps\"\u003eSee examples of our Aged artwork\u003c\/a\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eEvery piece is produced to archival standards using fade-resistant pigment inks on acid-free matte art paper. Choose an art print, framed art print or framed canvas using the finish options above.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eFramed art prints use crystal-clear optical acrylic for excellent clarity, lower weight and safer delivery than glass. Each piece arrives professionally framed and ready to hang.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eSelected artworks can be produced at statement sizes up to 3 metres (10ft). Custom sizing and \u003ca target=\"_blank\" href=\"\/it\/pages\/custom-framing\"\u003especialist framing\u003c\/a\u003e are also available. If the exact option you need is not listed, \u003ca target=\"_blank\" href=\"\/it\/pages\/contact-us\"\u003econtact our workshop\u003c\/a\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"The Unique Maps Co.","offers":[{"title":"8x10in (20x25cm) \/ Art print","offer_id":59973031428480,"sku":null,"price":227.0,"currency_code":"CNY","in_stock":true},{"title":"8x10in (20x25cm) \/ Framed art print","offer_id":59973031461248,"sku":null,"price":545.0,"currency_code":"CNY","in_stock":true},{"title":"8x10in (20x25cm) \/ Framed canvas","offer_id":59973031494016,"sku":null,"price":636.0,"currency_code":"CNY","in_stock":true},{"title":"A4 (210x297mm) \/ Art print","offer_id":59973031526784,"sku":null,"price":227.0,"currency_code":"CNY","in_stock":true},{"title":"A4 (210x297mm) \/ Framed art print","offer_id":59973031559552,"sku":null,"price":545.0,"currency_code":"CNY","in_stock":true},{"title":"A4 (210x297mm) \/ Framed 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