(Kronstadt 1854–1935)
Two girls in a blossoming garden, signed Miess, oil on canvas, 131 x 201 cm, framed, (Rei)

Catalogued and illustrated in:
Friedrich Miess (1854–1935) retrospective, exhibition catalogue, Kunstmuseum Kronstadt, 25 July- 28 September 2014, p. 71, no. 48.

Provenance:
Lars Roth Collection, Lübeck.

Originally from Brasov (now Kronstadt) in Romania, Friedrich Miess emigrated first to Vienna and then to Munich to pursue his artistic education. Although he had a strict academic background, Miess was soon attracted to a more modern way of painting, with which he hoped to achieve a realistic representation of the world. His production can be linked to German Realism throughout his life, but his treatment of light, due to his trips to Italy, brings an almost Impressionistic feel to his paintings. About his work he said: “…nature is my example, also in the color or the harmony, which can always be found in nature. One must only find it”.
Miess’ talent was soon recognised in his native Transylvania where, alongside his colleague and friend Arthur Coulin (1869-1912), he was considered an example for Brasov’s younger artistic generation. Being an established painter brought him numerous important clients who commissioned his portraits, which he created with an almost photographic exactitude.
Alongside classical portraits, Miess often depicted traditionally-dressed women or, as we can see in the present work, young children set in a landscape, often surrounded by warm and peaceful light.
Here, the little sitters are standing in the shade of the high flowers, with only spots of light shining through on their dresses. The quantity of flowers and the shade contrasting with the bright and diverse colours surrounding the girls skilfully create the feeling of a warm summer day.