Ludwig Knaus - Sour apple sketch

The painting can be defined as a genre scene, that is, the depiction of an episode of everyday life that, apparently, lacks any significant element. These types of domestic subjects were long considered minor and only began to spread in Western art starting in the 17th century. Only with the development of 19th-century realism did everyday subjects become considered as important as historical or religious ones.

This panel, which has a more sketchy character compared to Ludwig Knaus's official production, reveals an unusual side of the great German artist. Indeed, the work reveals a more spontaneous and instinctive side of Knaus, compared to his more balanced compositions. This immediate and curious scene is depicted with a cursory hand; the forms come to life with a few quick strokes. Color plays a fundamental role. Through tonal transitions, the painter represents the light coming from the left and uses it to measure the space of the painting.

Ludwig Knaus (5 October 1829 – 7 December 1910) was a German genre painter of the First Düsseldorf School. His early works are in the manner of that school, dark and intensely colored. This deficiency was remedied by his experience in Paris, where he went in 1852 and enrolled as a student of Thomas Couture. From 1861 to 1866, he practiced in Berlin, producing works such as Boys Playing Cards, Looking for a Bride (Wiesbaden Museum), and His Highness on His Travels. The next eight years of his life saw the production of much of his finest work, including The Children's Festival (Nation Gallery, Berlin), In Great Distress, and The Village Prince. From 1874 to 1883, he was a professor at the Royal Prussian Academy in Berlin, continuing to reside in that city until his death.

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