Waiting

The painting presents a mother holding an infant in her arms, standing next to a window in a modest room, longingly gazing into the distance. It exemplifies an early work of August Ludwig Most, a Szczecin painter commonly believed to be the most outstanding representative of the Biedermeier epoch in Pomerania. Most started to work on the piece already in 1826, after the fourth semester of studies at the Royal Prussian Academy of Fine Arts. The first version painted at that time remains unknown today. The Szczecin study, thoroughly considered and executed in a very careful manner, was the second version of the theme. It was created during the painter’s study trip to Dresden, where he was developing his talent after the studies. In 1831, August Ludwig Most married Karoline Krüger and later two of his sons were born in Dresden. The work commemorates this period, showing the painter’s wife with their oldest son Hermann. The third version of the painting is only known on the basis of a drawing made in 1832 at the request of the Saxon Association of Arts in Dresden. The Szczecin study is the only known painting variant on the theme. The painting is a peculiar combination of a portrait and a genre scene. Influences of Classicist art are perceptible in the beautiful features of the woman, the clear contour of her figure and frugal treatment of the environment. Simplicity of the composition, realism of the details of the woman’s outfit and the interior surrounding her, skilfully captured relationship between the mother and the child and also the rich array of harmonious colours: olive green, dirty pink and scarlet, dark browns, violet and dirty tones of white, are the features determining the artistic value of the work. The painting comes from the family resources of Most’s descendants. In spite of the fact that it belongs to the early period of the artist’s creativity, it is commonly believed to be a significant accomplishment of his.

Dariusz Kacprzak